* Increase accidents - 3.6 times more likely to injure themselves or another person in a workplace accident. 5 times more likely to be injured in an accident off the job this in turn affects attendance and performance on the job.
* Increase medical claims - 5 times more likely to file a worker's compensation claim.
* Increase absenteeism - 2.5 times more likely to have absences of eight days or more.
* Excessive tardiness - returning from lunch or on Monday mornings.
* Increase product defects - are more likely to have difficulty concentrating, more difficulty recalling instructions, more difficulty with complex assignments.
* Increase insurance costs
* Increase employee theft
* Decrease productivity
What are some of the benefits of drug testing in the workplace?
Drug-free workplace programs can have both short- and long-term benefits. Employers who have already started drug-free workplace programs report significant benefits:
Short-Term Benefits:
* Cost savings and incentive programs offered by Medical and health insurance carriers
* Property, casualty, and liability insurance carriers
* Workers' Compensation insurance carriers
* Less chance that a current user/abuser will apply for a job or be hired
* Ability to respond quickly when problems with alcohol or other drug abuse arise
* Fewer accidents
* Fewer disciplinary actions
* Reduced losses due to absenteeism, theft, and fraud
Long-Term Benefits:
* Improved employee morale and productivity
* Lower costs due to losses and errors
* Reduced costs of insurance claims
* Greater employee awareness about alcohol and other drug abuse as well as other health issues
* Earlier identification and resolution of problems affecting job performance
* Decreased legal costs and costs of hiring and training new employees
* The Costs of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse
What are some of the signs that my teenager could be using drugs?
Young people use drugs for many reasons that have to do with how they feel about themselves, how they get along with others, and how they live. No one factor determines who will use drugs and who will not, but here are some things to watch for:
* Low grades or poor school performance
* Aggressive, rebellious behavior
* Excessive influence by peers
* Lack of parental support and guidance
* Behavior problems at an early age
Being alert to the sign of alcohol and other drug use requires a keen eye.
What kind of drug test is available?
There are three primary ways to screen for drugs. If a drug screen comes up positive then the sample is then usually sent to a lab for a GC/MS test to identify more precisely what drugs have been abused. The three main types of test are as follows complete with the period of time that the drug can be detected in the body for this kind of test as well the cutoff levels for that test.
Hair: - When using a hair drug test, it will take approximately 5 days after drug usage until traces of the drug become embedded in a person's hair follicles. That process will continue for approximately 90 days. It is possible that traces of the drug can stay in there longer for certain individuals with over 90 days worth of hair growth.
|
DRUG |
SCREEN CUTOFF LEVELS |
CONFIRMATION CUTOFF LEVELS |
|
THC |
1 pg/ml |
.1 pg/ml |
|
Cocaine |
300 pg/ml |
300 pg/ml |
|
Opiates |
500 pg/ml |
500 pg/ml |
|
Amphetamines |
300 pg/ml |
300 pg/ml |
|
Phencyclidine |
300 pg/ml |
300 pg/ml |
Urine: - There are no hard and fast rules for determining how long drug metabolites remain present in your system. Variables that affect drug detection times include weight, percentage of body fat, metabolism, frequency, dosage and duration of drug use.
Below is a table that provides data on average drug detection rates in urine.
|
Drug Group |
<:PlaceName>Time <:PlaceType>Range |
|
Alcohol |
24 hours or less |
|
Amphetamines |
1 to 5 days |
|
Barbiturates |
Short-acting: 1 to 5 days |
|
|
Long-acting (Barbital, Phenobarbital): 1 to 3 weeks |
|
Benzodiazepines |
Short-term Therapeutic Use: 1 to 5 days |
|
|
Long-term / Chronic Use: 1 to 3 weeks |
|
Cocaine |
1 to 5 days |
|
LSD |
1 to 5 days |
|
Marijuana (THC) |
Casual Use: 1 to 10 days |
|
|
Long-Term / Chronic Use: 1 to 4 weeks |
|
|
Note: THC, marijuana's primary active ingredient, is stored by the body in fatty lipid tissue. From there, it is slowly released into the bloodstream for up to several weeks - depending on the amount and frequency of use and the user's level of physical activity. In chronic and physically inactive users, THC may accumulate in fatty tissues faster than it can be eliminated. This accumulation leads to longer detection periods for these individuals. Also, users with a high percentage of body fat in relation to total body mass are prone to longer drug detection periods for marijuana. |
|
MDMA (Ecstasy) |
1 to 7 days |
|
Methadone |
1 to 7 days |
|
Methamphetamines |
1 to 7 days |
|
Opiates |
1 to 8 days |
|
PCP (Phencyclidine) |
Casual Use: 1 to 10 days |
|
|
Long-Term / Chronic Use: 1 to 4 weeks |
|
|
Note: PCP is stored by the body in fatty lipid tissue. From there, it is slowly released into the bloodstream for up to several weeks - depending on the amount and frequency of use and the user's level of physical activity. In chronic and physically inactive users, PCP may accumulate in fatty tissues faster than it can be eliminated. This accumulation leads to longer detection periods for these individuals. Also, users with a high percentage of body fat in relation to total body mass are prone to longer drug detection periods for PCP. |
|
|
Saliva: - Saliva detection times are generally around the same as urine keeping in mind the variables that affect drug detection times. The cutoff rates are as follows:
|
|
What are the most commonly abused drugs and their effects?
Substance: Examples of Commercial Intoxication Effects/Potential Health Consequences Cannabinoids euphoria, slowed thinking and reaction time, confusion, impaired balance and coordination/cough, frequent respiratory infections; impaired memory and learning; increased heart rate, anxiety; panic attacks; tolerance, addiction hashish boom, chronic, gangster, hash, hash oil, hemp I/swallowed, smoked marijuana blunt, dope, ganja, grass, herb, joints, Mary Jane, pot, reefer, sinsemilla, skunk, weed I/swallowed, smoked Depressants reduced anxiety; feeling of well-being; lowered inhibitions; slowed pulse and breathing; lowered blood pressure; poor concentration/fatigue; confusion; impaired coordination, memory, judgment; addiction; respiratory depression and arrest, death barbiturates Amytal, Nembutal, Seconal, Phenobarbital; barbs, reds, red birds, phennies, tooies, yellows, yellow jackets II, III, V/injected, swallowed benzodiazepines (other than flunitrazepam) Ativan, Halcion, Librium, Valium, Xanax; candy, downers, sleeping pills, tranks IV/swallowed, injected Rohypnol; forget-me pill, Mexican Valium, R2, Roche, roofies, roofinol, rope, rophies IV/swallowed, snorted gamma-hydroxybutyrate; G, Georgia home boy, grievous bodily harm, liquid ecstasy I/swallowed methaqualone Quaalude, Sopor, Parest; ludes, mandrex, quad, quay I/injected, swallowed Dissociative Anesthetics increased heart rate and blood pressure, impaired motor function/memory loss; numbness; nausea/vomiting ketamine Ketalar SV; cat Valiums, K, Special K, vitamin K III/injected, snorted, smoked PCP and analogs phencyclidine; angel dust, boat, hog, love boat, peace pill I, II/injected, swallowed, smoked Hallucinogens altered states of perception and feeling; nausea; persisting perception disorder (flashbacks) LSD lysergic acid diethylamide; acid, blotter, boomers, cubes, microdot, yellow sunshines I/swallowed, absorbed through mouth tissues mescaline buttons, cactus, mesc, peyote I/swallowed, smoked psilocybin magic mushroom, purple passion, shrooms I/swallowed Opioids and Morphine Derivatives pain relief, euphoria, drowsiness/nausea, constipation, confusion, sedation, respiratory depression and arrest, tolerance, addiction, unconsciousness, coma, death codeine Empirin with Codeine, Fiorinal with Codeine, Robitussin A-C, Tylenol with Codeine; Captain Cody, Cody, schoolboy; (with glutethimide) doors & fours, loads, pancakes and syrup II, III, IV/injected, swallowed fentanyl and fentanyl analogs Actiq, Duragesic, Sublimaze; <:City>Apache, China girl, China white, dance fever, friend, goodfella, jackpot, murder 8, TNT, Tango and Cash I, II/injected, smoked, snorted heroin diacetylmorphine; brown sugar, dope, H, horse, junk, skag, skunk, smack, white horse I/injected, smoked, snorted morphine Roxanol, Duramorph; M, Miss Emma, monkey, white stuff II, III/injected, swallowed, smoked opium laudanum, paregoric; big O, black stuff, block, gum, hop II, III, V/swallowed, smoked oxycodone HCL Oxycontin; Oxy, O.C., killer II/swallowed, snorted, injected hydrocodone bitartrate, acetaminophen Vicodin; vike, Watson-387 II/swallowed Stimulants increased heart rate, blood pressure, metabolism; feelings of exhilaration, energy, increased mental alertness/rapid or irregular heart beat; reduced appetite, weight loss, heart failure, nervousness, insomnia amphetamine Biphetamine, Dexedrine; bennies, black beauties, crosses, hearts, LA turnaround, speed, truck drivers, uppers II/injected, swallowed, smoked, snorted cocaine Cocaine hydrochloride; blow, bump, C, candy, Charlie, coke, crack, flake, rock, snow, toot II/injected, smoked, snorted MDMA (methylenedioxy- Adam, clarity, ecstasy, Eve, lover's speed, peace, STP, X, XTC I/swallowed methamphetamine Desoxyn; chalk, crank, crystal, fire, glass, go fast, ice, meth, speed II/injected, swallowed, smoked, snorted methylphenidate (safe and effective for treatment of ADHD) Ritalin; JIF, MPH, R-ball, Skippy, the smart drug, vitamin R II/injected, swallowed, snorted nicotine cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, snuff, spit tobacco, bidis, chew not scheduled/smoked, snorted, taken in snuff and spit tobacco
Category and Name
and Street Names
Also, for barbiturates—sedation, drowsiness/depression, unusual excitement, fever, irritability, poor judgment, slurred speech, dizziness, life-threatening withdrawal.
for benzodiazepines—sedation, drowsiness/dizziness
for flunitrazepam—visual and gastrointestinal disturbances, urinary retention, memory loss for the time under the drug's effects
for GHB—drowsiness, nausea/vomiting, headache, loss of consciousness, loss of reflexes, seizures, coma, death
for methaqualone—euphoria/depression, poor reflexes, slurred speech, coma
Also, for ketamine—at high doses, delirium, depression, respiratory depression and arrest
for PCP and analogs—possible decrease in blood pressure and heart rate, panic, aggression, violence/loss of appetite, depression
Also, for LSD and mescaline—increased body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure; loss of appetite, sleeplessness, numbness, weakness, tremors
for LSD —persistent mental disorders
for psilocybin—nervousness, paranoia
Also, for codeine—less analgesia, sedation, and respiratory depression than morphine
for heroin—staggering gait
Also, for amphetamine—rapid breathing/ tremor, loss of coordination; irritability, anxiousness, restlessness, delirium, panic, paranoia, impulsive behavior, aggressiveness, tolerance, addiction, psychosis
for cocaine—increased temperature/chest pain, respiratory failure, nausea, abdominal pain, strokes, seizures, headaches, malnutrition, panic attacks
for MDMA—mild hallucinogenic effects, increased tactile sensitivity, empathic feelings/impaired memory and learning, hyperthermia, cardiac toxicity, renal failure, liver toxicity
for methamphetamine—aggression, violence, psychotic behavior/memory loss, cardiac and neurological damage; impaired memory and learning, tolerance, addiction
for nicotine—adverse pregnancy outcomes, chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, tolerance, addiction
methamphetamine)
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