Prescription drug abuse is a growing problem in the United States. Fortunately, various sectors of society are making an effort to fight the problem, including a hospital in West Virginia, according to a report by Alina Voronenko for 5News. (more…)
Employers all over the world have established drug testing programs to keep everyone in the workplace healthy, safe, and productive, but an article by Lydia DePillis for The Washington Post says there is a dip in drug tests in the workplace because there’s not much evidence that drug tests actually improve safety and productivity.
With each passing day, more and more workplaces are implementing drug and alcohol policies that help ensure the health and safety of everyone working in the company, from the rank and file to top management. While the figures have been encouraging for advocates of work and health safety, it remains a fact that many companies have yet to put a drug policy in place. If you’re an employer and your company is one of those places that have not established a drug policy just yet, what should you do? Here’s a guideline that can help you start.
Ever since workplaces started requiring workers to take drug tests, those opposed to them have consistently labeled the practice as an invasion of privacy, as employees are being asked to submit urine samples for the tests or face consequences. However, a recent scientific development might put a stop to all that, as scientists have reported developing a drug test that doesn’t require urine samples. All it needs to determine drug use or abuse is a person’s exhaled breath.
There was a time when cocaine was the most fashionable illicit drug in the world. Classified as a stimulant, it was the drug of choice for many addicts, particularly those who can afford it as it tended to be more expensive than other illegal drugs. It had its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s, but the advent of cheaper illegal substances gave cocaine stiff competition.
While it may no longer be the top drug of choice these days, cocaine remains just as potent as ever. Its effects on its users remain the same: fast-acting and totally dangerous.
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In a world as highly competitive as the one we live in today, working more hours than usual has become the norm. For many employees, 12-hour days are typical. The hours become even longer when there are deadlines to beat or presentations to polish. It has become common for workers with families to come home to a house where everyone is already asleep by the time they get there, and everything just seems all right.
While there is nothing wrong with long work hours per se, no one can deny that working long hours brings with it a lot of stress. All that stress may take its toll on the worker sooner or later. In some cases, the stress due to long hours could trigger excessive alcohol intake among workers. At least that’s what a recent study published in the BMJ is saying.
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Many people might think that prescription drug abuse isn’t that bad, compared to illegal drug abuse, such as cocaine, heroin, or ice. The truth, however, is far scarier. An article for The Daily Reporter reveals how alarming prescription drug abuse statistics in the United States have become.
Many organisations are now implementing drug testing during the recruitment process, which, as far as we’re concerned, is the best way to make sure that employers won’t be hiring regular users of illicit drugs. An article by Bourree Lam for The Atlantic, however, raises a valid point about drug testing during recruitment weeding out great candidates as well.