Last updated : November 18, 2024
Atlanta, like many cities across the country, is experiencing a sharp uptick in the use of illegal narcotics, especially methamphetamines. Made from mostly common household items, the ease of its production and availability of the ingredients is one of the driving factors behind the soaring popularity of methamphetamine among drugs users.
Available in two common forms, methamphetamine has adopted two names by its users. A white powdery form, called simply “meth,” is a less potent form. It can be injected or smoked and is fairly easy to produce. The second form is called “crystal meth” or “ice.” It appears in a clear crystal like form (sometimes with a blue tint) and is much more potent than the powdered form. This form can also be smoked or injected.
This drug, in both forms, has become popular for a variety of reasons. As stated earlier, it can be made from mostly household items in an at home constructed laboratory or a handheld container. The drug causes the brain to release copious amounts of dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain related to pleasure.
It is also popular because, when compared to many other drugs, it is cheaper. While an individual dose may cost more than a single dose of heroin or cocaine, it can create a high that lasts for over 12 hours. Like many drugs, it impairs the brain’s cognitive abilities and can cause anxiety, delusions, aggressiveness, irritability and paranoia.
Another effect in both men and women is a sharply increased libido. This, combined with impaired judgements, can lead to bouts of unprotected sex. Among meth users, there have been notable rises in the rates of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies. Because the drug is incredibly addictive, many users who become pregnant are unable to stop and the continued drug use causes serious health problems for both the mother and the baby.
The ease of its production, in what is now known as “shake and bake labs” means that someone needs nothing more than a styrofoam cup to produce the drug. This production method, like the more typical home laboratory setup, is extremely dangerous. Hazardous materials clean ups for both of these are extremely expensive. The public relations scenarios created by this type of discovery can be costly as well.
Drug testing is an excellent method to prevent the use of meth, or any other drugs. Companies that test their employees are taking an important step to eliminate this drug from both their facilities and their communities at large.
A well executed drug testing program will help in many ways. The first is a way to help control liabilities. An employee who uses a drug and possibly injures himself or a coworker, opens up the employer to possible lawsuits. By being proactive, and testing for illicit drug use, the employer helps prevent these situations in the first place.
Employees who know they will be drug tested are far less likely to begin using illegal drugs in the first place. By not using illegal drugs, and avoiding the inherently dangerous lifestyle and activities that accompany those drugs, an employee will be more likely to remain healthy. Healthy employees help lower the rising costs of health insurance premiums.
There are several common concerns relating to drug testing. Many people are concerned about employees “cheating” or “faking” their way through a drug test. The truth is that no drug test is 100 percent. There will always be people developing creative ways to attempt to fool the testing procedure. However, with a minimum of precautions, it is fairly simple to weed out those who are trying to cheat the drug testing system.
The possibility of false-positives is also a concern. For example, a person may be on a prescription pain medicine under a doctor’s care. Employees who test positive in this manner are allowed to provide documentation from their physician and need not worry about facing discipline while under their doctor’s care.
By being proactive, and taking steps to help prevent the entry of illegal drugs like crystal meth into your workplace, you can help keep your employees and your communities from falling pray to these substances.
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