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Drug abuse in the American workplace is a serious and very expensive problem.  Workplace drug testing can be a very effective way to battle this situation. 

The average time per person to complete the test and paperwork is usually 5 to 10 minutes.  Your employee can work right up to the time of their test and return right after!  No more lost production time or lost wage time YOU are paying for!

Statistics

   * At least 75 percent of drug abusers are employed. That's 10 million people working who use illicit drugs or abuse alcohol.

   * Chances are you have worked with, are working with or know someone who is currently abusing substances.

   * A drug or alcohol related problem is one of the top four reasons for the rise in workplace violence (auto accidents, machine-related accidents, non-fatal assaults, retail accidents, community service and healthcare).

   *  65% of accidents on the job are caused by substance abuse (OSHA) and employees that abuse drugs file 6 times more worker's compensation claims. (Occupational Health & Safety Magazine)

   * Every 23 minutes a death occurs as a result of drug or alcohol related accident.

   *  Drug using employees' health benefit utilization is 84% greater in dollar terms and they record 16 times more work absences. (U.S. Department of Labor)

   * Alcohol causes 500 million lost workdays each year. A high turnover rate alone is costly to a company, not to mention a lower quality of productivity from an employee who uses drugs. 

                          DRUG TESTING YOUR TEENS

Right now, there are millions of parents quietly struggling with a teen or young adult abusing drugs or alcohol. These parents not only have to cope with the worry, strain and hopelessness that teen substance abuse brings, but also agonize about what to do next. Is it finding treatment? Issuing ultimatums? And what do they tell their friends and relatives?  Change that feeling to hope by calling Drugfree.org‘s Parents Toll-Free Helpline(1-855-DRUGFREE) which connects you to a licensed social worker who will listen, offer support and help make a plan for both you and your child.

 *  Marijuana use has been linked to memory loss and difficulty with problem solving.  Marijuana today is 30 times more potent than in the 80's and its effects can be more intense.  Many people who use marijuana have trouble quitting and experience withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, difficulty sleeping and anxiety. Weekly marijuana users are 4 times likely to engage in violent behavior than those who don't.  It is associated with violent behavior, health and social problems.

      IN THE NEWS SEPT 2011

        Marijuana And Opioids Lead US Workforce Positives Quest recently released its latest Drug Testing Index. The findings indicated hydrocodone and oxycodone are two of the leading drugs found in drug screens amongst the US general workforce. The only drug to outrank the two opioids is marijuana, which continues to have the highest positivity rating for workforce drug testing in the US. Compared to levels in 2005, oxycodone positives have increased by 96% and hydrocodone positives have increased by 47%. "The use and misuse of prescription opiates continue to capture national attention," stated Quest Diagnostics Director of Science and Technology for Employer Solutions, Dr. Barry Sample. "The findings of this study reinforce the need for businesses to develop and communicate clear policies around both the medical and non-medical use of these drugs, especially for their safety-sensitive workers. Empowering employees to perform duties safely, act appropriately when they perceive risk, and understand clearly the consequences of non-medical use of these drugs and of being found to have violated their employer's drug policy all play an important role in worker and public safety."

 BATH SALTS

The use of MDPV has caused hallucinations,increased heart rate, seizures,paranoia, kidney failure, violent behavior,and death. Several fatalities in theUnited States have been directly linkedto the use of MDPV, and the major abuseseems to be in the South and Midwest.The Poison Control Center in Louisianareported 234 calls concerning bath saltsfor the year 2010. In January of 2011, thesame Poison Control Center reported248 calls from 25 states concerning bathsalts. Fifteen states have passed legislation,and 20 states have proposed legislationto ban bath salts. Federal Senate BillS409 and Federal House Bill 1254 havebeen proposed to classify these productsas Schedule I. Plant MaterialA large number of plants will produceeffects desired by individuals who wish toabuse drugs. Easily located and purchasedthrough the Internet, Salvia Divinorum,also known as Diviner’s Sage, Ska MariaPastora, or Seer’s Sage, is a psychoactiveplant which can induce dissociative effects.It is a potent producer of “visions” andother hallucinatory experiences. The initialeffect of Salvia Divinorum is believed tolast for two to five minutes, but after effectscan continue for hours. Several deathshave been attributed to the use of Salvia,and this plant has been made illegal in 15states (Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois,Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi,Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio,Okalahoma, South Dakota, and Virginia).It is legal for non-human consumption inthree states, (Louisiana, North Carolina Tennessee.

    According to the U.S. Department of Labor, no business, regardless of size or location, is immune from the problems substance abuse can cause.  It reported 6.5% of full-time workers are illicit drug users, and that alcohol and drug abuse costs American businesses about $81 billion annually in lost productivity, including death and illness.

    Court decisions provide two incentives for drug testing:

• Courts have upheld drug testing as a legitimate means of determining an employee's ability to work.

• The majority of courts have held businesses liable for accidents caused by drug abusing employees, particularly when the company has no formal Drug Free-Workplace policy

The information has been compiled from the National Institute on Drug Addiction, the US Chamber of Commerce, the Employee Assistance Society of North America, U.S. Department of Labor website footnoted sources listed;

US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (1996). Drug Use among U.S. Workers: Prevalence and Trends by Occupation and Industry Categories. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services.

US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (1996). Drug Use among US Workers: Prevalence and Trends by Occupation and Industry Categories.

US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (1999). Worker Drug Use and Workplace Policies and Programs: Results from the 1994 and 1997 NHSDA.

 Links:

US Department of Transportation www.dot.gov/ost/dapc

On-Site DOT Safety Compliance  rodriguezconsulting09@yahoo.com

US Department of Health and Human Services http://ncadi.samhsa.gov

US Department of Labor http://www.dol.gov.asp/

Drug and Alcohol Regulations http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/

Help for Teen Drug Use http://www.teenhelp.us/

Drugfree.org‘s Parents Toll-Free Helpline(1-855-DRUGFREE)

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1/htm

Institute for a Drug-Free Workplace (IDFW) http://www.drugfreeworkplace.org/

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence www.ncadd.org (800-NCA-CALL)

American Council for Drug Education (ACDE) www.acde.org (800-488-DRUG)

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment www.health.org (800 662-HELP)

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information www.health.org (800-729-6686)

The Parent's Resource Institute for Drug Education, Inc. (PRIDE) www.pride.org (800-677-7433)

 AMDT cost per screening is very comparable. For information please call (512) 507-5983 or  e-mail amdtoftexas@yahoo.com or austindrugtesting@austin.rr.com

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