Drug abuse -- including and especially alcohol abuse -- costs the U.S. economy billions of dollars in lost productivity each year.

 The Final Rule allows employers, collectors, laboratories, and Medical Review Officer to use the electronic version of the Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form (eCCF) in the DOT-regulated drug testing program.

http://www.dot.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/Part%2040%20DOT%20eCCF%20Notice.pdf

“Drug incidents and overdoses related to fentanyl are occurring at an alarming rate throughout the United States and represent a significant threat to public health and safety,” said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart

http://www.dea.gov/divisions/hq/2015/hq031815.shtml

During National Nurses Week and throughout the year, ANA is proud to celebrate the role nurses play in delivering the highest level of quality care to their patients. The National Nurses Week 2015 theme "Ethical Practice. Quality Care." recognizes the importance of ethics in nursing and acknowledges the strong commitment, compassion and care nurses display in their practice and profession. The theme is an important part of ANA’s 2015 Year of Ethics outreach to promote and advocate for the rights, health and safety of nurses and patients.

Baltimore, Maryland- The Johns Hopkins University Center for Learning and Health has been awarded a National Institutes for Health (NIH) grant for a new study and will partner with American Substance Abuse Professionals (ASAP) to provide employment-based substance use testing and substance use case management for study participants.

From Medical News Today

The CDC have reported that drug poisoning deaths involving heroin almost quadrupled between 2000 and 2013 in the US. The report from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) states that the age-adjusted rate of deaths involving heroin increased from 0.7 deaths per 100,000 to 2.7 per 100,000 during this period, with the majority of this rise occuring after 2010. 

While use of opioid analgesics doubled from 1988 to 1994, from 2011 to 2012 opioid use levels have shown stability. The CDC and the NHANES findings also show that opioid use rates were higher among older adults than younger adults, as well as higher among women than men. 

FMCSA will be forming a 26 member advisory committee that will be tasked with updating classroom and new behind-the-wheel training requirements for professional truck and bus drivers. 

Recreational marijuana became legal in Washington, D.C., allowing adults 21 and over to posses up to 2oz. and grow up to 6 marijuana plants in their homes for personal use. The selling of marijuana still remains illegal and cannot be taxed but the District Council is considering a bill that would regulate and allow marijuana to be taxed. 

December 31, 2014

News Digest

According to a recent study conducted by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) an average of 6 people die on a daily basis from alcohol poisoning. What's even more surprising than that number is the demographic that this statistic is based upon; the CDC said it found that white men between the ages of 35 and 64 are dying most often from alcohol poisoning. This specific demographic accounts for 76% of the deaths. 

Painkillers have been prescribed to help people get through the days after a medical procedure or for cancer patients who are suffering. But with a prescription increase of 300% in the past 10 years, prescribed narcotics are getting a lot of light shined on them. 

Aimed at teens but full of great useful information for employers and employees alike, National Drug Facts Week 2015 kicks off on January 26th. Download creative flyers and brochures to educate and inform by visiting the link below. Encourge the conversation about what it means to be Drug free to not stop at the workplace but to continue into the home. 

In Lancent Psychiatry's September issue, a group of 15 researchers looked at participant-level data from three large, long-running studies in Australia and New Zealand to explore connections between adolescent cannabis use and effects of completing young adult mile stones. The goal of this article is to provide a broad picture of the psychosocial sequelae of adolescent cannabis use. 

The NIH has awarded more than $11million over 3 years to three institutes to help support the research into exploring the use of social media to help understand, present and treat substance abuse. According to NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow, " These awards are the result of an active collaboration among three institutes to develop innovative approaches that advance the science of substance use and addiction."

Drug-free workplace has become a common term with human resource and safety managers. Most professionals agree that with drug and alcohol abuse accounting for 65% of on-the-job accidents, there is a need for drug testing to be an integral part of the workplace. But what is the difference between drug testing and having a drug testing program?

Components of a Drug Testing Program:

1.       A Written Policy

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Estimates from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Overview of Findings has been published on the SAMHSA site. Key findings include:

1.) An estimated 24.6 million individuals aged 12 or older were current illicit drug users in 2013

August 9th saw some concern for passengers aboard the JetBlue flight  from Boston to Buffalo, New York. When baggage handlers smelled smoke, they yanked a smoldering bag from the plane and quickly took a fire extinguisher to it. The cause of the smoking bag? It is thought to have been from an e-cigarette that a passenger had forgotten to turn off and stowed away in their checked luggage. 

There's a shortage of drivers in the trucking industry, according to the American Trucking Association. 30,000 drivers short in fact. Higher turnover rate, coupled with an aging driver population has companies revamping their compensation structure and finding ways to try and appeal to a younger demographic. So what's the reason behind the shortage?

Colorado's largest detox network, Arapahoe House, has seen its number of patients double from 8% in 2013 to 15% in 2014. The reason for the increase is due to the legalization of recreational marijuana on January 1, 2014. What Colorado citizens are failing to grasp is the understanding that it's against the law to operate a vehicle while high on marijuana.

Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New York and Tennessee all have one thing in common; they have all implemented a broad drug abuse prevention program.

Vape shops are popping up all around the country. E-cigarette ads seem to be on every other page of magazines. These two devices are advertised as an altertative to tobacco cigarettes but they are also being used to smoke THC. 

A US- based company called Palcohol has had their patent for powdered booze approved by the Treasury Department. According to the product's website, Palcohol is expected to be in the market this fall, launching with six  beverage formulations: vodka, rum, four cocktails- margarita, cosmopolitan, lemon drop and mojito.