Enter the words “fentanyl, deaths, and border crisis” into your search engine and thousands of results pop up. We specified July 2022 in the search and the number of local headlines on page one alone is enough to make you realize—if there’s any way that you hadn’t already—that our country is in serious trouble. In Read more »
How to Identify Methamphetamine Use in the Workplace
Methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant and, moreover, it’s highly addictive. Someone who is high on meth can act very erratically. It’s important for employers and their management teams to be able to identify methamphetamine use. Someone who is under the influence of the drug while at work is putting themselves—and anyone nearby—at a heightened risk Read more »
When Don’t You Do a Background Screening?
Human Resources (HR) is responsible for the hiring process and many companies include a background screening. If your company completes background screenings on potential employees, you know they get costly. In fact, some larger companies have contracts with a specific background screening company that provides bulk rates. Others pay as they go because they aren’t Read more »
Workforce Drug Test Positivity Highest in Two Decades
In 2019, we were heralding the fact that death due to opioid overdose was down for the first time in twenty years. Three short years later, statistics show that positive drug test results among the American workforce reached their highest peak since 2001. That’s an increase of 30% from the all-time low in drug test Read more »
DOT Contemplating Releasing Drug Testing Data to Wider Audience
A report titled “DOT Has Taken Steps to Verify and Publicize Drug and Alcohol Testing Data but Should Do More” was published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in March 2021. Could the general workforce benefit from accessing the drug testing data too? The report examines: How the DOT uses drug and alcohol testing data Read more »
Has DOT Approved the Hair Follicle Test Yet?
The Department of Transportation (DOT) began discussing whether it should allow hair follicle drug testing back in 1997 when it was first released. It was 2004 before the DOT submitted a proposal to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requesting the new drug test be allowed. However, HHS rejected the proposal due to Read more »
Will Deputizing Doctors Help Navy Weed Out Drug Abusers?
News broke recently that a sailor in the Navy was convicted of drug use after reaching out for mental health assistance. The story has some people questioning if this branch of the military is deputizing doctors now. In actuality, though, the psychologist who was assigned to treat the sailor was following regulations. Moreover, they have Read more »
How to Identify Synthetic Opioids in the Workplace
The opioid abuse crisis is still raging across our nation. In fact, the situation has grown even more serious since our southern border has been left wide open. For instance, synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, are pouring into the country. Drug dealers are scooping fentanyl up because it’s cheap. It’s extremely lethal too and if Read more »