Education Blog

Federal Testing Updates

The United States government recently made changes to the tests required of all workers that fall under federal regulations. This primarily is a change to the type of substances that are checked during the laboratory sampling. Quote from the Federal Register “SUMMARY: The Department of Transportation is amending its drug testing program regulation to add hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and oxycodone to its drug-testing panel; add methylenedioxyamphetamine as an initial test analyte; and remove methylenedioxyethylamphetamine as a confirmatory test analyte. The revision of the drug-testing panel harmonizes DOT regulations with the revised HHS Mandatory Guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Federal drug-testing programs for urine testing. This final rule clarifies certain existing drug testing program provisions and definitions, makes technical amendments, and removes the requirement for employers and Consortium/Third Party Administrators to submit blind specimens.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patrice M. Kelly,
Acting Director,Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance,
1200 New Jersey Avenue
SE., Washington, DC 20590
Tel No. 202–366–3784
ODAPCWebMail@dot.gov

VAPING - www.drugfreeworld.org

Vaping marijuana is done by placing raw cannabis or THC oil in a vaporizer or e-cigarette. While there are claims that this is a “healthier” way to consume marijuana, the effects of vaporizers and e-cigarettes have not been fully researched in large-scale studies.

The Truth About Drugs - drugfreeworld.org

A small amount acts as a stimulant (speeds you up). A greater amount acts as a sedative (slows you down). An even larger amount poisons and can kill. This is true of any drug. Only the amount needed to achieve the effect differs. But many drugs have another liability: they directly affect the mind. They can distort the user’s perception of what is happening around him or her. As a result, the person’s actions may be odd, irrational, inappropriate and even destructive. Drugs block off all sensations, the desirable ones with the unwanted. So while providing short-term help in the relief of pain, they also wipe out ability and alertness and muddy one’s thinking. Medicines are drugs that are intended to speed up or slow down or change something about the way your body is working, to try to make it work better. Sometimes they are necessary. But they are still drugs: They act as stimulants or sedatives, and too much can kill you. So if you do not use medicines as they are supposed to be used, they can be as dangerous as illegal drugs.

Opioid painkillers are addictive!

Opioid painkillers produce a short-lived euphoria, but they are also addictive. Long-term use of painkillers can lead to physical dependence. The body adapts to the presence of the substance and if one stops taking the drug abruptly, withdrawal symptoms occur. Or the body could build up a tolerance to the drug, meaning that high doses have to be taken to achieve the same effects. Like all drugs, painkillers simply mask the pain for which they are taken. They don’t “cure” anything. Someone continuously trying to dull the pain may find himself taking higher and higher doses–only to discover that he cannot make it through the day without the drug. Symptoms of withdrawal can include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (known as “cold turkey”), and involuntary leg movements. One of the serious risks of opioids is respiratory depression–high doses can cause breathing to slow down to the point it stops and the user dies.

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