| Hydrocodone and Oxycodones Lead U.S. General Workforce Positives
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10-11-2011 |
American workers continue to use prescription opiates at relatively high levels, according to Drug Testing Index™ (DTI) data released today by Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services. Hydrocodone and oxycodones remain the most detected prescription opiates in the U.S. general workforce, with 1.3% and 1.1% positivity rates, respectively, in the first half of 2011. Compared to 2005 levels, oxycodones are 96% higher (0.56% vs. 1.1%) and hydrocodone 47% higher (0.88% vs. 1.3%) in positive prevalence.
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| DOT Extends The Use Of Old Chain of Custody Forms Until November 30th, 2011
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09-27-2011 |
| Among amendments to the Interim ruling; employers that fall under the DOT drug testing regulations, 49 CFR Part 40, can continue to use old CCF forms until November 30, 2011. This extension will provide the DOT and employers more time to implement the use of the new forms. We have done an illustration in order to identify the new COC forms here. |
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| Quest Diagnostics Issued Its Annual Drug Testing Index Report
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09-12-2011 |
The study includes its first state-by-state analysis of methamphetamine positives, based on more than 4.5 million urine specimens collected from the general U.S. workforce from January-December 2010, revealing that several Western and Midwestern states register dramatically higher workforce positive prevalence rates for methamphetamine than the national average. The report also shows that while efforts around the country to control availability of the highly addictive substance and educate against its use may be making progress in some areas, the drug's attraction among U.S. workers may be moving eastward.
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| DEA Moves to Emergency Control Synthetic Stimulants (Bath Salts)
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09-07-2011 |
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is using its emergency scheduling authority to temporarily control three synthetic stimulants (Mephedrone , 3,4 methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and Methylone). This action was necessary to protect the public from the imminent hazard posed by these dangerous chemicals. Except as authorized by law, this action will make possessing and selling these chemicals or the products that contain them illegal in the U.S. for at least one year while the DEA and the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) further study whether these chemicals should be permanently controlled.
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| "Bath Salt" Abuse is a Growing Menace
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01-31-2011 |
The MEDTOX Drug Abuse Recognition (DAR) Hotline has been peppered with calls about ingestion and abuse of bath salts over the last several months. The first Hotline calls were fielded in June of 2010; volume hit a peak this month. Abuse of bath salts and particular strains of powdered plant food has now been reported by a number of media outlets, as well as by state and federal law enforcement agencies. This activity is real and it represents a notable public safety threat. Readers should be sensitive to this substance abuse and be prepared for bad outcomes for some users. Our staff believes the problem warrants a special "be on the lookout" advisory for our readers.
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| DEA Enacts Temporary Emergency Ban on Possession and Use of K2-Spice Products
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11-24-2010 |
| K2's (Spice) label says that the drug is "not for human consumption." That admonition has not been followed by what appear to be hundreds of thousands of synthetic cannabinoid Spice experimenters. On November 24, 2010 the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in a rather swift reaction to the Spice phenomenon emergency listed various chemical iterations of it as a Schedule I substance. This move by DEA puts Spice into a heady collection of dangerous drugs and narcotics that includes heroin and L.S.D. Schedule I is also the regulatory home to marijuana and other cannabinoid products. |
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| New DOT Drug Testing Regulations - Effective Today: October 1, 2010
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10-04-2010 |
A must read for all employers regarding your policy!
MUST READ |
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| A Reminder About DOT’s Final Rule
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09-07-2010 |
On August 16, 2010, DOT published a final rule which will be effective October 1, 2010.
Click here for a brief summary of the rule.
Click here for full text of the new rule. |
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| Distracted Driving | 2010 Summit
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07-29-2010 |
The National Highway Traffic Safety Admin (NHTSA) shows that in 2008, nearly 6,000 people died and more were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.
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| DOT Proposes Rule to Ban Texting for Truck and Bus Drivers
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07-28-2010 |
The proposed rule would make permanent an interim ban announced in January 2010 that applied existing safety rules to the specific issue of texting.
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| DOT Issues Final Rule Authorizing Reports to State CDL Authorities
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07-06-2010 |
The Department of Transportation has published a Final rule adopting the Interim Final Rule authorizing employers to disclose to State commercial driver licensing (CDL) authorities the drug and alcohol violations of employees who hold CDLs and operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), when a State law requires such reporting. This rule also permits Medical Review Officers (MROs) and third party administrators (TPAs) to provide the same information to State CDL incensing authorities where State law requires the TPAs to do so for owner-operator CMV drivers with CDLs.
Since the employer is aware of the state in which the CDL was issued for each of its employees, it is incumbent on the employer to notify the MRO and/or TPA in the event that such disclosure of drug and alcohol violations must be made to the State.
Click here to see the State Laws Reporting Matrix |
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| Reminder Notice
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05-28-2010 |
Direct Observation In Effect For All DOT Return-to-Duty & Follow-Up Drug Testing…
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| Increased Misuse Of Prescription Drugs in Military
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03-09-2010 |
Study Shows Increased Misuse Of Prescription Drugs in Military for nearly two decades, illicit drug use among active-duty military personnel within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) fell dramatically, from 28 percent in 1980 to less than 3 percent in 1998.
But then the picture began to change.
While use rates for illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine among service men and women have remained encouragingly low, overall drug use in recent years has risen sharply. This unsettling surge is driven not by an uptick in the use of “street” drugs, but almost exclusively by a steep rise in the misuse of prescription drugs, particularly pain relievers.
According to a new DoD survey, past-month non-medical use of prescription drugs among active-duty DoD personnel doubled from 2002 (2 percent) to 2005 (4 percent). From 2005 to 2008, the rate almost tripled, soaring to 11 percent. Meanwhile, use of other, non-prescription illicit drugs has hovered around 2 percent since 2002.
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| New DOT guidlines: Medical Marijuana
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10-29-2009 |
Recently, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued guidelines for Federal prosecutors in states that have enacted laws authorizing the use of "medical marijuana."
We have had several inquiries about whether the DOJ advice to Federal prosecutors regarding pursuing criminal cases will have an impact upon the Department of Transportation's longstanding regulation about the use of marijuana by safety-sensitive transportation employees – pilots, school bus drivers, truck drivers, train engineers, subway operators, aircraft maintenance personnel, transit fire-armed security personnel, ship captains, and pipeline emergency response personnel, among others.
We want to make it perfectly clear that the DOJ guidelines will have no bearing on the Department of Transportation's regulated drug testing program. We will not change our regulated drug testing program based upon these guidelines to Federal prosecutors. |
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| FMCSA Strikes on Drugs, Alcohol
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10-26-2009 |
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conducted its first national drug and alcohol strike force last month that removed 77 truck and bus drivers from the road.
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