The Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is issued a notice of intent on Aug. 31, 2016 to temporarily schedule the opioids mitragynine and 7- hydroxymitragynine, which are the main active constituents of the plant kratom, into schedule I pursuant to the temporary scheduling provisions of the Controlled Substances Act.

The addiction-treatment industry is most certainly at a crossroads today. With favorable legislation and a growing recognition of addiction as a chronic disease, leaders now have an opportunity to shape the direction of the road ahead. And these are pivotal decisions, according to Marvin Ventrell, executive director of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP), who spoke at the National Conference on Addiction Disorders in Denver on Sunday.

Every September, SAMHSA sponsors Recovery Month to increase awareness and understanding of mental and substance use disorders and celebrate the people who recover.

National Health Center Week has been celebrated for more than 30 years to recognize the services and contributions of Community, Migrant, Homeless and Public Housing Health Centers. While there are countless reasons to celebrate America’s Health Centers, among the most important and unique is their long success in providing access to affordable, high quality, cost effective health care to medically vulnerable and underserved people throughout the United States. Learn More

Sandra Serrano and Nicole Hanratty will be attending SAPAA Worldwide 2016, September 12th-16th. Stop by and see us and learn about the newest industry updates and don't forget to register to win an iPad mini! Read More

ASAP, American Substance Abuse Professionals, supplies drug and alcohol testing, evaluation, treatment compliance monitoring and follow-up testing programs for employers who have drug and alcohol testing requirements for their employees. ASAP specializes in providing these services to employers whose testing programs are regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT).    

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is delaying enforcement of the anti-retaliation provisions in its new injury and illness tracking rule to conduct additional outreach and provide educational materials and guidance for employers. Originally scheduled to begin Aug.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires all entities under its jurisdiction to update their information every two years. You are required to provide this update every two years even if your company has not changed its information, has ceased interstate operations since the last update, or is no longer in business and you did not notify FMCSA.

NHTSA is launching its annual Vehicle Theft Prevention Campaign this July, which is Vehicle Theft Prevention Month, all across the nation. Vehicle theft is a very expensive crime, with the cost of stolen vehicles pegged at more than $4.1 billion – that’s billion with a "B". And July is one of the months when more cars are stolen than any other month.

A study of opioid overdose cases from the past 10 years points to a history of previous addiction, mental illness and having other chronic diseases among the strongest predictors of which overdose patients are most at risk for death or other serious complications.

The Department’s drug and alcohol testing regulation, 49 CFR Part 40, provides the specific requirements for when and how to obtain written employee authorization to disclose drug and alcohol testing information.

Fatal accidents involving stoned drivers have soared in the state of Washington since marijuana was legalized there, according to a study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. But it's difficult to determine whether a high-on-pot driver is too impaired to drive, according to a separate study from the same group.

DOT is determined to keep America’s airlines the safest in the world.  It is with that thought in mind that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, issued a final rule on May 13, 2016, prohibiting the carriage of battery-powered portable electronic smoking devices (e.g. e-cigarettes, e-cigs, e-cigars, e-pipes, personal vaporizers, electronic nicotine delivery systems) in checked baggage.  This includes prohibiting the charging of such devices and batteries aboard aircraft.

• Join NSC and thousands of organizations across the country as we work to raise awareness of what it takes to stay SafeForLife. Observed annually in June, National Safety Month focuses on reducing leading causes of injury and death at work, on the roads and in our homes and communities. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Probuphine, the first buprenorphine implant for the maintenance treatment of opioid dependence. Probuphine is designed to provide a constant, low-level dose of buprenorphine for six months in patients who are already stable on low-to-moderate doses of other forms of buprenorphine, as part of a complete treatment program. Read More

National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday. These permanent dates enhance planning and position National Nurses Week as an established recognition event. As of 1998, May 8 was designated as National Student Nurses Day, to be celebrated annually. And as of 2003, National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week each year.

The FMCSA Portal provides single sign-on access to FMCSA systems via a single password and user ID. It enables Federal, State, and industry users to access the Agency's existing information systems with a single set of credentials and have easy access to safety data about the companies regulated by the FMCSA.   Motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, intermodal equipment providers, and cargo tank facilities will have secure access to their company information on file with the F

Improving the way opioids are prescribed through clinical practice guidelines can ensure patients have access to safer, more effective chronic pain treatment while reducing the number of people who misuse, abuse, or overdose from these drugs.

Do you employ safety-sensitive employees who must take drug and alcohol tests regulated by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT)? 

Most organizations conduct prevention activities throughout the year, culminating in a community-wide event during National Prevention Week. If there are circumstances that make scheduling an event at the end of May difficult, there are other ways to participate. For example, you may choose to hold events during another week in May leading up to National Prevention Week instead. You might also consider scheduling prevention activities before or after the third week of May to accommodate the needs of your community.

The FMCSA Contact Center serves customers via phone, electronic (email, web form, chat), fax and print mail. The Office of Registration and Safety Information’s mission is to provide the best registration and operating authority customer service possible to the CMV industry and to external and internal partners, with a focus that raises the bar for entry into the motor carrier industry.

Each April since 1987, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

Join AAOHN in Jacksonville, FL, April 11-14, 2016, for an intensive four-day conference filled with continuing education, networking and professional development. Our 2016 conference theme is "Leading the Future: Endless Possibilities in Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing," and, as an attendee, you can learn current and cutting-edge best practices and explore the latest technology and resources to improve the management of your occupational and environmental health and safety practice.

Over the last few years, DOT has issued historic consumer rules protecting the rights of the flying public.  And today, we took one more step toward ensuring better treatment of passengers by finalizing a ruletha