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Archive for the 'drug testing' Category
Comprehensive K2 Legislation in TX
Published January 13, 2011 Cannabinoids , drug testing , Human Resources , JWH-018 , K2 , Occupational health , Occupational medicine , Spice , student drug testing , teen drug use , Tests and Services , toxicology , Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: drug test, expertox, Human Resources, JWH-018, K2, Occupational medicine, teen drug abuse, teen drug use
Do You Require Drug Testing for Your Employees?
Published January 12, 2011 alcohol , drug testing , Drug-Free Work Week , Tests and Services , Uncategorized 5 CommentsTags: drug test, drug testing, drugs, expertox
Many employers require drug testing as part of their pre-employment assessment process, and may include periodic random drug testing and for-cause and post-accident drug and alcohol testing as part of their company’s workplace substance abuse program. Nearly 75% of all adult illicit drug users are employed, as are most binge and heavy alcohol users1 and problems related to alcohol and drug abuse cost American businesses roughly $81 billion in lost productivity in just one year2.
Drug and alcohol use by employees result in:
- Risk, safety and liability issues
- Loss of production
- Higher absenteeism and consistent tardiness
- Increased worker’s compensation costs and claims
- Increased incidences of theft, embezzlement and other crimes
- Higher employee turnover
- Employee behavior issues that affect a company’s morale, culture and image
In fact, industries with the highest rates of drug use are the same as those at a high risk for occupational injuries, such as construction, mining, manufacturing and wholesale3. These same employers must also be diligent in screening, monitoring and caring for prospective candidates and employees who may work in high risk occupations through more specialized occupational health testing.
The Truth About “Fake Pot”
Published December 16, 2010 drug testing , K2 Leave a CommentTags: drug test, expertox, K2, synthetic marijuana
The U.S. government recently took action on the new fad drug, “fake pot”. The chemicals that form this new drug are sold in head shops and on the Internet, marketing the drug toward teens and young adults as incense.
A blend of herbs laced with synthetic marijuana, known popularly as K2, is being sold openly. K2 often sends users to hospitals with symptoms varying from soaring heart rates to paranoia to near-death experiences, according to health professionals.
K2 has become popular with people that have regular drug screenings because the substance does not show up on drug tests.
Little is known about the long-term effects of the legal substance, also known as Spice, Demon, Genie, Zohai and a host of other names. Authorities believe K2 could have been behind the death of an Iowa teen that committed suicide shortly after smoking it.
“At least with pot you know what it is,” DEA spokeswoman Barbara Carreno said. “You have some idea how potent it is and you know how it affects you. With these things, you don’t know what you’re getting.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is taking action by launching a 30-day investigation to possibly put these chemicals in the same drug category as heroin and cocaine.
DEA spokeswoman Dawn Dearden says law enforcement will be using chemical tests to determine which products violate the ban and will focus on distributors, not individual users.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers have reported receiving more than 1,500 calls from 48 states about products spiked with these chemicals.
References:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101124/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_synthetic_marijuana
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Politics/k2-marijuana-substance-attracts-state-bans/story?id=11128843
A mother’s view: Smoking K2 became fatal error for son
Published August 31, 2010 Cannabinoids , drug testing , Incense , JWH-018 , K2 , Spice , toxicology 10 CommentsTags: JWH-018, K2, Spice
The following article was published in the Duluth News Tribune on August 29,2010 and with the author’s permission we are republishing it here.
Duluth, please ban the synthetic THC substance found in K2, Spice, California Dream and other marijuana-mimicking products.
On May 15, my son, Charlie Davel, smoked K2 and within hours died after leading police on a high-speed chase, turning the wrong way onto a freeway and hitting a parked tow truck. His vehicle was traveling faster than 100 mph.
This was not my son in his right mind.
He had many things going for him. He was a devout Christian and a star wrestler in high school. He was college-bound, had just bought a fishing license and so much more.
We, his friends and family, believe K2 was the major factor that caused him to act irrationally, costing him his life.
The officer investigating Charlie’s death, Detective Jay Dunston of Waukesha County, told us about K2 several days after Charlie’s death. I had never heard of it. The officer learned Charlie had used it after conducting interviews with those who had spent time with Charlie in the hours before his death.
Charlie is far from the only person victimized by this substance. In early June 2010, David Rozga of Indianola, Iowa, smoked K2 and then went home and shot himself. I have been in contact with David’s parents. I also have been in contact with the mother of a young man in Hastings, Minn., hospitalized after smoking K2. Just a few weeks ago, the state of Indiana began to announce documented injuries with K2. More recently, I read of Derek McQueen, who smoked K2 and tried to slit his throat. I am attempting to have contact with him. The son of Rick Bell and Cheryl Berg of the Eau Claire, Wis., area, smoked K2 and has been hospitalized for more than two months. Their stories are featured elsewhere on this page.
I have several friends in ER nursing. They say more and more young people are coming into the emergency room with the severe effects of K2 and similar products. Earlier this spring they had patients who came in, and the medical staff had no idea what they had taken.
When Charlie died, only two states had made these substances illegal. Today there are at least eight.
This stuff is poison! It is unregulated, and you never know how potent a batch will be.
Taxpayers will have to pay lots of unnecessary money if this substance is not made illegal. My son’s ambulance bill alone was nearly $2,000. His emergency room visit, to say he was dead, was more than $5,000. As a 19-year-old adult, he was responsible for the bill. The financial department of the hospital called and left a message for him to say so. (Gosh, don’t they talk to each other there?)
I have heard the officer who chased Charlie was assigned administrative duty for awhile as a result. That means he’s not out fighting crime. How much does that cost? I am guessing he also will receive post-traumatic counseling.
The Sheriff’s Department closed the freeway for four hours after Charlie’s crash. The Highway Department spent hours cleaning up the site. This included picking up pieces of automobile and cleaning flesh, blood and a variety of fluids. I have no idea the financial burden of the county for this. Not to mention the emotional trauma of everyone involved. If I were a highway worker, I would rather plow snow and fix roads than clean up a horrific accident scene in the middle of the night.
The state Department of Transportation must have been involved, too. It sent Charlie a letter a week after the accident to say his license was suspended. I think the letter said the suspension was because he was driving way too fast. (Gosh, doesn’t anyone communicate?)
The city of Duluth will make the right decision when it bans the sale, possession and use of this poison. We won’t know how many lives such an action will save. We won’t know how much emotional pain, agony and heartache will be prevented. We won’t know how much taxpayer money will be saved. But we do know that if this product continues to be legally available, more will die, more will hurt and more will pay.
Teens and young adults often participate in risky behavior. My son was no exception. About once or twice a year, it seemed, he did something without thinking it through. This time, it cost him his life. And every day I ask myself, “Why?”
Maybe so his story will save others.
Bonnie Davel lives in Waukesha, Wis.
K-2 on the Houston News
Published August 12, 2010 Cannabinoids , Continine Testing , drug testing , Human Resources , JWH-018 , teen drug use , Tests and Services , toxicology , Toxins , Uncategorized Leave a CommentAs I was getting ready for work this morning, I saw this clip on the news and thought I would share it as it directly relates to the previous blog.
http://www.khou.com/home/Doctors-concerned-over-possible-link-of-K2-heart-damage-100529464.html
How Safe is Spice or K-2?
Published August 9, 2010 Cannabinoids , drug testing , Human Resources , JWH-018 , student drug testing , teen drug use , Tests and Services , toxicology , Uncategorized 2 CommentsOne of my friends had surgery recently and has really had a very difficult time dealing with the pain from the surgery. Yesterday she made a comment on her Face Book page that she was going to ask her doctor for a prescription for a stronger pain medication. Someone “jokingly” recommended that she go buy some “Spice” since it is supposed to have the same effects as THC and is legal in Texas.
My heart about went to my throat! Knowing that we test for not only JWH-018 but also an entire Synthetic Cannabinoid panel and having done some reading on these substances I was hoping and praying that my friend would not follow through with that.
The reality is that no one really knows what the long term effects of using these synthetic cannabinoids have on the human body. According to Marilyn Huestis, PhD, chief of chemistry and drug metabolism at the National Institute for Drug Abuse, ”When you take these drugs, you are hijacking the part of the brain important for many functions: temperature control, food intake, perception, memory, and problem solving, and people taking these high-potency drugs are affecting other important functions throughout their bodies — hormone functions, for example.” To see more about the possible effects go to http://tinyurl.com/ykeawnf.
The standard drug tests do not detect for these synthetic cannabinoid drugs. It requires a specialized testing process. So many people are using this as a substitute for marijuana and when going for either pre-employment or random drug tests, testing negative.
Currently JWH-018 and the other Synthetic Cannabinoid drugs are not federally controlled in the United States. However, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency it is labeled as a “Drug and chemical of Concern” in 2009. While it may not be federally controlled, several states have passed or proposed legislative action against spice and some cannabinoids.
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota and Tennessee it is illegal (either to have in your possession or the sale of JWH-018 and/or other synthetic cannanbinoids) in all or parts of these states. The following states have either legislation proposed or impending enaction against JWH-018 and/or other synthetic cannanbinoids: Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Texas and Utah.
ExperTox interviewed on KHOU about K2 and Spice.
Published July 22, 2010 drug testing , Human Resources , Occupational health , Occupational medicine , Safety , teen drug use , Tests and Services , toxicology , Uncategorized Leave a CommentExperTox was interviewed regarding testing of the synthetic cannabinoids. Are you concerned about K2 or Spice? See interview below at http://www.khou.com/home/KHOU-k2-pot-incense-high-98965774.html
What is Meconium Drug Testing?
Published June 28, 2010 drug testing , March for Babies , March of Dimes , Meconium drug testing , Perinatal Testing , Tests and Services , toxicology 1 CommentTags: drug test, drug testing, meconium, meconium drug test, meconium drug testing, newborn drug test, prenatal drug test, substance abuse by pregnant mothers
We have an acquaintance that is a foster parent to a child whose mother used drugs during her pregnancy. He has multiple siblings, all in foster care. The child is now nearly two and under continual medical and therapeutic care for learning disabilities, slow speech development, and gastrointestinal problems, among many others. These long-term side effects were the consequences of his mother’s drug use during fetal development.
According to the March of Dimes, nearly 4% of pregnant women use drugs. Mothers between the ages of 15 – 17 have the highest incidence of drug use during pregnancy (National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIDA).
So, how does a health professional know if a newborn has been exposed to drugs in utero? They will test the first, possibly second, stool of the newborn, called meconium. Fetuses begin forming waste material in their digestive system between 12 to 16 weeks’ gestation. They pass the in utero waste either during the delivery process or soon after. Doctors use meconium as an excellent specimen for drug testing if they suspect the mother may have used illicit substances. Signs of use that physicians look for include:
- Premature birth
- Low birth weight
- Mother’s past history of use or abuse
- Small head circumference
- Newborn signs of withdrawal
- Stillbirth
Meconium is an excellent specimen because it retains drug metabolites for up to 5 months, whereas newborn urine drug testing reflects only the last few days prior to excretion. Unfortunately, drug use during pregnancy can affect the newborn child both short-term and long-term. The child may exhibit signs of:
- Drug withdrawal symptoms
- Behavioral, development and learning disorders
- Seizures
- Hyperactivity
- Birth defects
What is most critical to caring physicians is getting the test results before the mother leaves the hospital. Based on the test results, social services intervention may be necessary, and the child may be immediately placed in foster care. Today, hospitals are releasing new mothers within 24 to 48 hours of delivery. If test results are not received within this period of time, there is a high likelihood mom and baby will “disappear”, making intervention much more 
difficult.
How To Perform Nail Specimen Collections for Drug Testing
Published June 22, 2010 drug testing , Human Resources , nail testing , Occupational health , Safety , teen drug use , Tests and Services , toxicology 4 CommentsTags: drug test, drug testing, expertox, fingernail testing, nail drug test, nail test, nail testing, teen drug abuse, teen drug use
Did you know that fingernails and toenails make excellent specimens for drug testing? The same drugs that can be detected in samples like urine, oral fluid and hair can also be detected in nails. This means when that employee or candidate shows up for their drug test bald with their body completely shaved, we’ve got another surprise for them!
As you will see in this video, all ten fingernail or toenail tips are clipped first. The detection period from clippings only is for 30 days, 6 months ago. Do you want to know if someone was using drugs during the entire six month period? If so, the collector will then lightly shave the surface of all ten nails. The detection period between the lunula (the “white moon” of the nail) and where the clippings ended is about 5 months.
Both the clippings and shavings are then submitted to ExperTox for testing. Here is how the collection is performed:
Are You Smoking Yourself Out of Job Opportunities?
Published May 24, 2010 Continine Testing , drug testing , Human Resources , Tests and Services , Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: cigarette smoke, continine test, nicotine test, pre-employment smoking test
Many employers have instituted smoke-free workplace policies, which means employees are not allowed to smoke within their facilities, and many times are limited to designated smoking areas. There is now an increasing trend with employers refusing to hire people who smoke. They have added continine testing (checking for a metabolite of nicotine) to their pre-employment screening process.
You may be asking yourself, “What is up with that?” Just take a look at some of these smoking statistics shared on the American Lung Association’s and American Cancer Society’s websites:
- Cigarette smoke contains 4800 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer. ExperTox tests for drugs, alcohol, poisons and toxic substances – this means we test for some of the stuff in cigarettes you want to prevent from putting in your body:
- Acetone
- Ammonia
- Arsenic
- Benzene
- Cadmium
- Formaldehyde
- Lead
- Methanol
- Nicotine
- Toluene
- In 2004, smoking cost the United States over $193 billion, including $97 billion in lost productivity and $96 billion in direct healthcare expenditures.
- Smoking is responsible for 90% of all lung cancer deaths and 80% – 90% of COPD-related deaths. There are about 443,000 lives claimed each year due to smoking-related diseases in the U.S.
- Secondhand smoke involuntarily inhaled by non-smokers is classified by the U.S. EPA as a known human carcinogen
Sure, the idea of companies not hiring people just because they smoke has caused some conflict but think about
- Rising healthcare costs and what it is ultimately causing everyone to pay just because of about 25% of the population of smokers.
- Declining productivity in this time where everyone is multi-tasking as the economy picks back up (“smoke breaks” can be time killers!)
- What type of image is a smoker portraying to its customers, investors and other employees
- And especially for health-related organizations such as hospitals and doctors’ offices, do employees of these types of companies that smoke give the impression of speaking out of both sides of their mouth?
Bottom-line, we all know smoking is a bad habit that increases preventable disease and reduces mortality, and that cigarettes are filled with toxins. Choosing to smoke is an informed decision by anyone – information is everywhere on its effects.
What do you think of employers now performing pre-employment tests to determine if a candidate smokes?
