Alcohol-related Illnesses Kill 15 Australians Daily
A new study reveals that up to 15 Australians die each day due to alcohol-related illnesses, according to a report by Simon Santow for ABC News.
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WA Rolls Out 5-Minute Drug Test for Drivers
Western Australia police is now stepping up its campaign against people who drive under the influence of illicit drugs by rolling out a state-of-the-art drug test for drivers that can get results in just five minutes.
Lowest Number of Australian Workplace Fatalities in 11 Years
Safe Work Australia has released data that says workplace deaths in the country has hit an 11-year low.
The Perks of Drug Testing in the Workplace
Much is being said about drug testing in the workplace. Those who are against it mainly raise the issue of privacy, and they are, more often than not, backed by local and state laws. The benefits of drug testing in the workplace, however, are too clear to be ignored. This is not just some empty claim. It’s backed by a US poll considered to be the one of the most comprehensive and current surveys on the subject of drug testing in the workplace.
Called Drug Testing Efficacy 2011, the poll, which was conducted by The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA), had employers as respondents, all of whom have a workforce of around 500 to 2,500 employees. The results of the survey indicate that their organisations—mostly publicly owned and for-profit—have benefited significantly from drug testing in the workplace. Here are some of the poll’s findings.
Read MoreMaking Your Workplace Tobacco-Free
Over the years, smoking has always been tagged as the leading preventable cause of death and disease in Australia. Despite the fact that tobacco smoking leads to a myriad of health problems, such as heart disease and cancer, many Australians continue to light up like there’s no tomorrow. Unfortunately, there indeed is no tomorrow for approximately 15,500 Australians every year who die of smoking-related diseases.
While tobacco is a legal drug that can be bought just about everywhere, employers have every right to aim for a tobacco-free workplace. After all, smoking employees can cost their business more because of absenteeism, health care benefits, and lost productivity — all because of its adverse effects on their health. Here are some of the things employers can do to promote a tobacco-free workplace.
Read MoreStudy Says Heroin Users Belong to Middle Class
A study recently published in JAMA Psychiatry reveals that typical heroin users today actually belong to the middle class.
Study: Prescription Drug Abuse Could Lead to Injecting Substances
A new study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy suggests that abusing prescription drugs, particularly opioids, could send a person well on the way towards injecting heroin and other injectable illicit drugs.
Implementing Drug Policies in the Workplace
There is no question that drugs and alcohol in the workplace can have a negative impact on the operation of the business. Employers should never ignore this. However, sometimes, some employers do because implementing drug policies in the workplace can prove to be a tricky one. Nevertheless, employers who truly care about the health and safety of their workers should use various substance abuse strategies available to them.
To help these employers get started, here are a few tips that they can use to properly address drug and alcohol issues in the workplace.
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