Regulatory Updates:

From the U.S. DOT Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance (ODAPC)

The Department of Transportation (DOT) Publishes CY 2007 Random Drug/Alcohol Testing Rates

ODAPC has published the following random drug and alcohol test rates for CY 2007:

DOT Agency	2007 Random Drug Testing Rate	2007 Random Alcohol Testing Rate
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)	25%	10%
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)	50%	10%
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)	25%	10%
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)	25%	10%
Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)	25%	NA
United States Coast Guard (USCG)	50%	NA

Employers and Consortia/Third Party Administrators (C/TPAs) subject to more than one DOT Agency drug and alcohol testing rule may continue to combine covered employees into a single random selection pool. However, companies and C/TPAs doing so must test at or above the highest minimum annual random testing rates established by the DOT agencies under whose jurisdiction they fall. For example, an employer having both FMCSA and FRA covered employees in one pool must test, as a minimum rate, 50 percent for drugs and 10 percent for alcohol.

USCG covered employees may be combined with DOT covered employees in drug testing pools even though the USCG is now part of the Department of Homeland Security.

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Did You Know?

1. In 2002 to 2004, an average of 598,000 youths aged 12 to 17 reported that they initiated inhalant use in the 12 months prior to being surveyed.
2. The types of inhalants most frequently mentioned as having been used by recent initiates included glue, shoe polish, or toluene (30.3 percent); gasoline or lighter fluid (24.9 percent; nitrous oxide or “whippets” (24.9 percent); and spray paints (23.4 percent).
3. Among recent inhalant initiates, 19.4 percent used inhalants on 13 or more days in the past year.
4. In 2002 to 2004, an estimated 72.2 percent of students who did not use marijuana in the past month reported an A or B average in their last semester or grading period compared with 44.9 percent of those who used marijuana on five or more days during the past month.

Information compiled from the “National Survey on Drug Use and Health,” published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Some Facts About: Hydrocodone

Hydrocodone is an effective antitussive (anti-cough) agent, and as an opiate it is an effective analgesic for mild to moderate pain control. Early comparisons concluded that hydrocodone and morphine were equipotent for pain control in humans. Hydrocodone is considered to be morphine-like in all respects.

There are over 200 products containing hydrocodone in the U.S. In its most usual product forms hydrocodone is combined with acetaminophen (Vicodin, Lortab), but it is also combined with aspirin (Lortab ASA), ibuprofen (Vicoprofen), and antihistamines (Hycomine). Both tablet and liquid forms of hydrocodone are available (Tussionex).

Vicodin and hydrocodone, in combination with acetaminophen, is a commonly abused version of hydrocodone. As with all narcotic analgesics, Vicodin can be habit forming, causing dependence, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms if not used as it is prescribed. Negative effects are possible, even when used as prescribed.

Common side effects may include: dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, sedation, vomiting, and constipation.

Less common side effects may include: allergic reactions, blood disorders, mood changes, mental cloudiness, anxiety, lethargy, urine retention, ureteral spasm, irregular breathing, respiratory depression, and skin rash.

Symptoms of overdose include: bluish tinge to skin, cold and clammy skin, extreme sleepiness progressing to a possible state of unresponsiveness or coma, heart problems, heavy perspiration, kidney problems, limp muscles, liver failure, low blood pressure, nausea, slow heartbeat, troubled or slowed breathing, and vomiting.

Information was extracted from an article published by www.streetdrugs.org.