Opioids are a class of powerful medication to relieve pain. Common opioids such as oxycodone (Percocet and OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, and morphine work by preventing pain signals from reaching the brain and affecting the areas of the brain that control emotion. Like opiates derived from poppy plants (such as heroin), the powerful nature of Read more »
Everything You Know About Addicts is Wrong
Stereotypes are like convenient thought-bites–they contain just enough truth to make you feel you don’t have to examine them too closely. Even smart people can swallow the stereotypes about addicts because the truly outlandish and obvious cases are the ones people can point to most often, thanks in large part to today’s media, which includes Read more »
3 Traits to Look for to Hire Your Dream Employee
Once upon a time, the prevailing definition of dream employee was any applicant whose resume listed the specific skills and experience necessary to do the job. Not so in today’s fast-paced, rapidly changing business environment, where smart human resources professionals look for deeper, broader, less tangible qualifications. The right resume can still get an applicant through Read more »
How Drug Abuse at Home Affects the Workplace
More than 70 percent of all people treated for drugs have full-time jobs. Drug abuse is a widespread problem, and its use extends beyond simple recreational use at home. Drug use can affect not only the user but their immediate families, friends and employers. There are a myriad of consequences to both the drug user Read more »
5 Myths You Probably Believe About Marijuana
Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Colorado allow recreational pot and nineteen states permit medicinal use in some form. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but it appears a lot of folks pushing for across-the-board legalization haven’t done their homework, opting instead to believe myths over facts. Ignorance isn’t really bliss, and when you’re talking weed, mistaking myth for fact Read more »
11 Ways to Find Out Who You’re Really Hiring
Pre-employment screening is an important part of the hiring process for all businesses. For some industries and positions, this screening is required by law; for most businesses, however, it’s just a good practice. The laws about what information an employer can use to screen prospective employees varies by state and the nature of the position. Read more »
Will Employees Think I Don’t Trust Them?
While some state and/or local governments do regulate substance testing, courts have consistently supported employers’ right to test employees and potential employees, especially if safety is a concern. Just because you, as an employer, can test, the question becomes, should you? Testing can improve safety, increase productivity, decrease absenteeism, and help you identify and remove problem employees—all Read more »
What is the Deadliest Drug in America?
What would be the response to someone seeking to know the name of the deadliest drug in the United States? Answers come pouring in—heroin, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamines. The truth? It’s none of those “recreational” drugs. The very medications used to improve quality of life for the intended patient turn out to be the biggest culprits. More than half the Read more »