Thursday, September 18, 2014
Percentage of Positive Drug Tests in Workers Increased For First Time in a Decade
September 16th, 2014/
For the first time in more than 10 years, the percentage of positive drug tests among American workers has increased, according to a company that conducts the tests. The increase is fueled by a rise in use of marijuana and amphetamines, Quest Diagnosticsfound.
The findings come from an analysis of 8.5 million drug test results. The positive drug test result rate increased to 3.7 percent in 2013, compared with 3.5 percent in 2012. It is the first time the positive rate for national workplace urine drug tests has increased since 2003, the company reported.
In Colorado, marijuana was detected in 20 percent more employment-related drug tests performed by Quest during the first year recreational use of the drug was legal, The Coloradoan reports. “While it’s interesting, and it could be a harbinger for things to come, I think it’s a little too early to draw conclusions at this point,” Dr. Barry Sample, Director of Science and Technology at Quest Diagnostics Employer Solutions, told the newspaper. Sample said he did not see evidence that employers are changing their drug-screening patterns to reflect Colorado’s legalization law.
In Washington state, where recreational use of marijuana has also been legalized, Quest found a 23 percent increase in drug tests that were positive for marijuana. In contrast, the company found an increase of 6.2 percent nationally.
Employers in Colorado are getting mixed messages about how to deal with employees who use marijuana. While recreational use of marijuana is legal for adults in the state, it remains illegal under federal law. Under Colorado state law, employers can ban use of marijuana at work. Another state law prohibits employers from dismissing workers for engaging in lawful activities off the premises of the business during nonworking hours.
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| Hello , Because you’ve registered to receive PACT360 community education materials, I want to let you know about a new informative toolkit from the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. The Partnership is teaming up with Major League Baseball Charities for a special “Play Healthy” program designed to help coaches, parents, teachers and all concerned adults help young people make healthy decisions and prevent them from abusing performance-enhancing substances and prescription drugs. The Play Healthy Toolkit contains a DVD, a discussion guide and handouts that anyone can use to educate themselves and others about the risks of abusing performance-enhancing substances and other drugs. The Toolkit is free of charge and available in English and Spanish. It also contains nomination forms for the Commissioner’s Play Healthy Award, which celebrates and recognizes one youth sports coach and one student athlete who embody the spirit of teamwork, dedication, leadership and a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.  To receive your free Play Healthy Toolkits, e-mail Kevin Collins at kevin_collins@drugfree.org. Please specify the number of English and Spanish kits you would like to receive and your contact information, including e-mail and phone number. I hope you and your community will make use of this important resource. Kevin Collins Deputy Director, Community Education The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Use of Drugs and
Alcohol Among Teens Declines Again
September 17th, 2014/
The rate of drug and alcohol use among American teens continues to decline, a new government study indicates. Teens’ use of tobacco also dropped, The Washington Postreports.
The rate of current illicit drug use among teens ages 12 to 17 was 8.8 percent in 2013, compared with 9.5 percent in 2012, and 11.6 percent in 2002. The 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) also found between 2002 and 2013, the level of teens with substance dependence or abuse problems decreased from 8.9 percent to 5.2 percent.
Between 2002 and 2013, teens’ rate of regular alcohol use declined from 17.6 percent to 11.6 percent. During that period, marijuana use among teens ages 12 to 17 also declined. Teens’ recreational use of prescription painkillers decreased as well.
The NSDUH is an annual survey of a nationally representative sample of about 70,000 Americans ages 12 and older. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released the report as part of its 25th annual observance of National Recovery Month.
Many Americans who need treatment for a substance use disorder are not receiving specialty treatment, the report indicates. While 22.7 million Americans 12 and older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem last year, only 2.5 million received it in a facility designed to treat substance use disorders.
“This report shows that we have made important progress in some key areas, but that we need to rejuvenate our efforts to promote prevention, treatment and recovery, to reach all aspects of our community,” SAMHSA Administrator Pamela Hyde said in an agency news release.
Online Initiative Aims to Reduce Prescription Drug Abuse
September 17th, 2014/
An online initiative designed to reduce prescription drug abuse is beginning to gain steam after launching in 2010, according to The Washington Post.
The initiative, called Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances (EPCS), is a rule by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that allows pharmacies and care providers to handle prescriptions for controlled substances that are designated Schedule II-V entirely online. The program is voluntary.
Schedule II drugs include oxycodone and fentanyl. The DEA recently announced it willreclassify hydrocodone combination products such as Vicodin from Schedule III to Schedule II.
The system reduces reliance on paper prescriptions, which decreases the risk of forged prescriptions, the article notes. The system also generates information that allows doctors and pharmacies to identify potential cases of drug misuse. New York launched a new online prescribing system last summer, which helped identify 200 incidents of “doctor shopping” in the first three days, according to the newspaper.
The launch of EPCS has been slow for several reasons. States have had to change their laws to align with the DEA rule, and had to ensure the prescribing networks were secure. In the past year, electronic prescriptions for controlled substances have started to increase, according to data from DrFirst, a vendor of EPCS technology. The number of EPCS transactions increased from about 11,000 in January 2013 to 60,000 in July 2014.
Surescripts, the company that operates the largest e-prescribing network, found as of August, 50 percent of pharmacies were able to electronically prescribe controlled substances, up from around 40 percent at the end of 2013. Implementation of the program has been uneven, ranging from 74 percent of pharmacies in Delaware to 15 percent in North Dakota.
Starting in March, New York will be the first state to require controlled substances to be prescribed electronically.
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