Bonny Quarford’s and Bill Hancock’s business is, in a bit of irony, located next to both a medical marijuana dispensary and another store that sells smoking paraphernalia.
Clear Creek Drug and Alcohol Screening opened this week in the Gold Rush Center on Colorado Boulevard in Idaho Springs.
Clear Creek residents Quarford and Hancock picked the spot because of its ideal location in the city — rather than the proximity to their business neighbors.
It was the same sort of careful calculation that helped the business partners choose the business of drug and alcohol screening.
Hancock, who was a district manager for sporting goods stores and the former owner of a liquor store in Evergreen, said they were looking to start a business that could be close to their home in Clear Creek County.
“We are here all the time because we live in Clear Creek County. … We’re closer to Idaho Springs than we are to Evergreen, so we come here to have dinner … or just kill time,” Hancock said. “And then we just looked around and thought, ‘Well, what’s missing? … What do the residents need? What does the county need?’ And we came up with this idea.”
They figured drug and alcohol screening is needed by parole officers, law enforcement, casinos and employers checking potential employees.
Quarford, who worked with Hancock before the poor economy pressured them to close their business, comes from a background in advertising, having once worked for the Canyon Courier in Evergreen.
Quarford said a drug and alcohol screening office here makes it easier for locals to get checked rather than having to drive to the metro area, especially during the winter. In some cases, that isn’t possible for those who have gotten into trouble with the law.
“(We’re) trying to make it easier for the people in trouble, trying to make it more comfortable,” Quarford said. “… We know it’s really hard on their whole family, and we want to make it as easy as possible. We don’t want them to feel so uncomfortable.”
Hancock added that their business isn’t just for people who have gotten in trouble with the law or are being checked by employers. He said they can also assist parents concerned about their children.
“(Parents) may be concerned, and a family can come here and do a quick test with their child,” Hancock said.
The two did some myth busting by saying that it’s difficult to fool a drug or alcohol test because testing technology is always advancing.
For information about Clear Creek Drug and Alcohol Screening, call 720-398-8317.

Contact Ian Neligh at courant
editor@evergreenco.com, and check www.ClearCreekCourant.com for updates and breaking news.