Regulatory Updates:

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

DOT Publishes Revised Procedures for Non-Evidential Alcohol Screening Devices

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has recently approved a new breath tube alcohol screening device (ASD) which will qualify for use in DOT Agency regulated testing. Consequently, the breath tube procedures currently in the DOT regulation are not consistent with instructions for use of the newly approved ASD. DOT has published an Interim Final Rule that amends 49 CFR Part 40, specifically 40.245, to accommodate the new device.

Instructions for use of the new ASD are generally similar to those for the previously approved breath tube device. The principal difference is in how the alcohol result is read by the technician. Instead of comparing the color of the crystals in the ASD with the colored crystals in a manufacturer-produced control tube, the new ASD uses an electronic analyzer to provide the technician and the employee with an automated visual result of negative (a flashing green light) or positive (a flashing red light) at 0.02. The DOT retains the requirement to read the result within 15 minutes of the test to ensure a confirmation test, when necessary, is conducted in a timely manner.

To submit comments on the proposed rule, go to: http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for submitting comments.

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National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Quick Facts:

• NIDA-supported scientists have found that certain genes partly determine whether an adolescent who takes a first puff on a cigarette will progress to regular smoking. If the teen also suffers from depression, the genetic effect is amplified, further increasing the likelihood of smoking escalation.
• Underage drinking is known to vary across states. Examples include: Utah (18.6 percent), Tennessee (22.3 percent), California (26.3 percent), Wisconsin (38.3 percent), Iowa (27.7 percent), Oklahoma (21.5 percent), North Dakota (42.7 percent) and South Dakota (39.1 percent).
• Youths aged 12 to 17 who used an illicit drug in the past year were almost twice as likely to have engaged in a violent behavior as those who did not use an illicit drug (49.8 percent vs. 26.6 percent). Also, the likelihood of having engaged in violent behavior increased with the number of drugs used in the past year (i.e., 45.6 percent who used one illicit drug compared to 61.9 percent who used three or more illicit drugs.

Focus On: Marijuana

The DAC News Service seeks to inform by providing information on topics of broad interest and concern to employers. Therefore, from time-to-time, we will select subjects we believe to be relevant and informative to the workplace environment.

Marijuana

Overview

Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). Cannabis is a term that refers to marijuana and other drugs made from the same plant. Other forms of cannabis include sinsemilla, hashish and hash oil. All forms of cannabis are mind-altering (psychoactive) drugs.

The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabilol). Short-term effects of marijuana use include problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination, increased heart rate and anxiety.

Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette or in a pipe. Marijuana has also appeared in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, sometimes in combination with another drug. It can also be mixed into foods or used to brew a tea. read more