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| December 2005 |
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Drug
& Alcohol Updates From the U.S. DOT Office of Drug & Alcohol Policy & Compliance (ODAPC): Marriage & Family Therapists to Act as SAPs Until the amended regulation appears in the Federal Register, state licensed or certified MFTs will not be able to perform as SAPs. <read full article> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . back to top From the National Institute on Drug Abuse: (DAC Newsletter recipients will recall that an article on inhalant abuse was included in the October issue. The following from the Director of NIDA further emphasizes the seriousness of the threat from inhalant abuse.) Inhalant Abuse: Danger Under the Kitchen Sink
Drug abuse among the nation’s young people declined substantially in the past three years, with 600,000 fewer teens abusing drugs, according to the most recent NIDA-University of Michigan Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey. Abuse of inhalants, however, is an exception. The percentage of eighth-graders who have at least once sought intoxication by inhaling spray paints, nail polish remover, lighter fluid, glue, marking pens, aerosols, cleaning fluid or other volatile substances has increased two years in a row and now stands at 17.3 percent. This trend is alarming and unacceptable. <read more> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . back to top Cognitive Deficits in Marijuana Smokers Persist After Use Stops [Editor’s Note: As the following article demonstrates, the evidence continues to mount and affirm that marijuana is a hazardous drug that it has long-term effects on individuals and their ability to function in the workplace as well as in their personal lives.] Cognitive measures included:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . back to top Behavior associated with drug abuse is the single largest factor in the spread of HIV infection in the Using or sharing drug paraphernalia such as unsterile needles, cotton swabs, rinse water and cookers to inject heroin, cocaine, or other drugs places drug abusers at risk for contracting transmitting HIV. Drug abuse without the use of needles and syringes can also foster the spread of HIV. Research sponsored by NIDA and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has shown that drug and alcohol use can interfere with judgment about sexual behavior and thereby affect the likelihood of engaging in unplanned and unprotected sex. This increases the risk for contracting HIV from infected sex partners.
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FOCUS ON: The Five Critical Components of an Effective Drug-Free Workplace Program Employers implement drug-free workplace programs to protect their businesses from the impact of drug and alcohol abuse. Because every business is unique, there is not one right way to establish a drug-free workplace program. Rather, each organization’s program should match its specific needs. A careful assessment will determine which program elements are the most feasible and beneficial, as well as which may be unnecessary or unsuitable. Also, if an employer is in a federally regulated (DOT, DOD, etc.) business, there may be specific requirements that must be incorporated into the program. A drug-free workplace program generally includes five components:
The following brief discussion of each of these components will describe the basic requirements of an effective drug-free workplace program and also provide you with some readily available resources. <read more> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .back to top View the 2005 Schedule for Commercial Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .back to top Published by USIS |
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