Drug and Alcohol Testing


Safety Council Raises Alarm Over Increase in Prescription Opioid Overdoses

"As a society we have not heeded the data warning us of the deadly cost of addiction. Our grace period is over," said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council.

U.S. Supreme Court to Rule on Drunk Driving Tests

The court will consider whether it is lawful for states to charge an individual with a crime when the person has refused to submit to a blood or alcohol test for drunk driving and whether law enforcement officers can administer a blood or breath test for drunk driving with no search warrant.

NSC Poll Says Prescription Drug Abuse Impacts 80 Percent of Indiana Workplaces

Two-thirds of employers believe prescription drugs are bigger problems than illegal drugs. The survey also discovered that only 53 percent of employers have a written policy on using prescription drugs at work, despite 80 percent reporting that they have had an issue.

Cargo Vessel's Grounding Attributed to Drunken Chief Officer

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch found that he "lost situational awareness due to his consumption of alcohol." The cargo vessel Lysblink Seaways ran aground at full speed in West Scotland on Feb. 18, 2015, resulting in a fuel spill and eventual scrapping of the vessel.

Four North Central Texas College softball players died in the September 2014 accident where a tractor-trailer crossed an I-35 median and struck their bus near Davis, Okla.

NTSB Blames Crash on Trucker's Use of Synthetic Cannabinoid

The truck crossed a median on I-35 near Davis, Okla., on Sept. 26, 2014, and struck a medium-sized passenger bus carrying members of the North Central Texas College softball team, four of whom died in the wreck. The board's report says this crash demonstrates the need for seat belt use laws with primary enforcement for all vehicles.

DEA 360 Pilot Targets Abuse of Heroin, Prescription Drugs

"DEA's 360 Strategy recognizes that we need to utilize every community resource possible to reach young people and attack the heroin and prescription drug epidemic at multiple levels," said Gary Tuggle, DEA special agency in charge for the Philadelphia Division.

U.S. Adults' Marijuana Use Up Sharply, Surveys Show

"Based on the results of our surveys, marijuana use in the United States has risen rapidly over the past decade, with about three in 10 people who use marijuana meeting the criteria for addiction. Given these increases, it is important that the scientific community convey information to the public about the potential harms," said George Koob, Ph.D., director of NIAAA.

NSC Calls on DEA to Require Education for Opioid Painkiller Prescribers

Highly addictive medicines are overprescribed, and the council urged DEA to require more education for the medical practitioners who prescribe them.



Treating marijuana the same as alcohol is impossible for several reasons. There are no measurements for marijuana impairment that relate across the board to how we understand alcohol impairment.

GHSA Report Urges National Action on Drugged Driving

"While this report summarizes the research and data available, it also highlights how much remains unknown," said the report's author, Dr. Jim Hedlund. "For example, we still don't know with certainty how much of a specific drug will cause impairment or if such a relationship can even be defined. Many states do not have the data to measure their drug-impaired driving scope or characteristics."

Looking Ahead to NSC 2016

The biggest U.S. safety trade show of the year returns to the West Coast next October, taking place in the shadow of Disneyland at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The new program will give 16 states annual awards between $750,000 and $1 million over the next four years to advance prevention on multiple fronts, according to CDC.

CDC Helping States to End Prescription Drug 'Epidemic'

The agency announced a program to give 16 states money for the next four years to combat the problem.

Using a SAMHSA Certified Laboratory ensures that every test you perform on an employee or applicant will stand up in a court proceeding; it is a defensible test.

What to Look for in a C/TPA or Program Manager

The wrong choice in a service agent for your drug testing services may or may not cause ongoing problems, but it only takes one test to go bad for devastating consequences to occur.

The Prescription Drug Misuse Epidemic: Are We Making Progress?

It's clear that the war on drugs has shifted away from the back alleys and instead on to Main Street. Abuse of prescription medication has grown to a bona fide public health crisis.

Texas DPS Beginning Labor Day Patrols This Week

"Impaired drivers who take to the roadways put other travelers in harm's way, and these increased patrols during the Labor Day holiday are designed to save lives by getting these dangerous drivers off the road," DPS Director Steven McCraw said.

FAA Fines Eaton Aerospace Over Drug Testing Lapses

The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $173,100 civil penalty against Eaton Corporation Aerospace Operations of Irvine, Calif., after finding that the company violated drug and alcohol testing regulations.

SAMHSA says federal agencies that do utilize oral fluid testing will realize several benefits, including faster, on-site collection of specimens.

Most Commenters Endorse Oral Fluid Testing Guidelines

DATIA and some testing companies also submitted comments in response to SAMHSA's proposed mandatory guidelines, which were published May 15, 2015.

Dr. Jay Butler, chief medical officer of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, called the state

Alaskans' Heroin Use, Deaths Rising Fast

A bulletin issued July 14 by the Department of Health and Social Services says the inpatient hospitalization rate nearly doubled from 2008 to 2012, and deaths more than tripled from 2008 to 2013.

NSC Calls for Comprehensive Workplace Policies on Painkiller Use

A National Safety Council report shows the negative impact of opioid painkiller use on employees' safety.

Reasonable suspicion drug testing is a critical safety measure.

Recreational Marijuana Now Legal in Oregon

The law allows Oregonians to have 8 ounces of useable marijuana at home and 1 ounce in public. Four marijuana plants are allowed per household

NSC Survey: Nearly Half of Americans Using Opioid Painkillers Unaware

Drug overdoses, largely from opioid painkillers, are a leading cause of unintentional injury deaths for American adults. This "epidemic" is a primary focus of National Safety Month, according to the council.

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