Ohio Joins Newly Formed Interstate Prescription Drug Task Force

Four states – Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia – have created the Interstate Prescription Drug Task Force to fight the region’s prescription drug abuse problem.

The 30-member group will work to develop strategies to reduce the sale and abuse of prescription drugs, and will make recommendations to improve cooperation in sharing data, educational campaigns and police investigations.

Read more about prescription drugs in “SPECIAL REPORT: Prescription Drugs, Ohio Responds.”

Tags: drug abuse, drug free workplace, prescription drug abuse, Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month

Alcohol Problems Highest Among Hospitality Workers

From our archives: Previous articles that have some relevance today

Original date: 05/2008

Analysis of two major government surveys, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the National Comorbidity Study, found that hospitality workers have the highest rate of serious alcohol problems among all sectors in U.S. industry, with 15 percent of its workers affected by alcohol-related issues.  The resulting report, “Workplace Screening & Brief Intervention:  What Employers Can and Should do About Excessive Alcohol Use” was developed by a research center at the George Washington University Medical Center called Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems.  According to the study, workers in the construction and wholesale sectors also show high rates of alcohol problems.

In addition, researchers found other trends among these groups.  Alcohol problems are more prevalent among male workers than their female counterparts.  Younger employees (ages 18 to 25) are also more likely than older workers to have alcohol problems.

“The impact of alcohol problems in the workplace is a tremendous hidden challenge, in part because very few people with an alcohol problem are ever identified,” states Andrew Webber, president and CEO of the National Business Coalition on Health. “In the past, employers have led the way to doing more for people with chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. It’s time for American industry to do the same for people with alcohol problems.”

The report encourages workplace wellness programs and employee-assistance programs (EAP), as well as primary-care doctors, to begin screening and brief intervention (SBI) for alcohol problems among workers.

Tags: alcohol abuse, alcohol abuse program, alcohol in workplace, alcohol safety, binge drinking

Prescription Abuse Training for Doctors

Federal legislation sponsored by Senator Jay Rockefeller (WV) and Chuck Schumer (NY) would require physicians to undergo training about opiate-based narcotics.   Currently the DEA does not require medical doctors, dentists and other clinicians to take any training of this sort before being licensed.

The proposed Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act would also increase sentencing for those who rob pharmacies to fuel a drug habit. If approved, the bill doubles the penalty this crime from its current 10 years to a proposed 20 years in prison.

Lastly, the bill includes $25 million for states to improve their prescription drug monitoring systems. Several states including Ohio, Florida, Georgia and New York are currently trying to increase their monitoring systems’ effectiveness through legislated efforts.

Read more about prescription drugs in “SPECIAL REPORT: Prescription Drugs, Ohio Responds.”

Tags: drug free workplace, prescription drug abuse, Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month

Lawmakers Take Action to Ban “Bath Salts”

In September the Drug Enforcement Agency announced a temporary ban on the possession and sale of mephedrone, MDPV and methylone, three active ingredients in bath salts. Bath salts, sold under brand names like Vanilla Sky and Ivory Wave, are known to cause paranoia, hallucinations, increased heart rate and suicidal ideation. The ban will last at least one year.

Also at the federal level, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Combating Dangerous Synthetic Stimulants Act of 2011. This bill now moves to the Senate for debate. If passed as proposed, the bill will classify the primary chemicals used to make bath salts as Schedule I substances, making possession and selling of these substances illegal.

In the meantime, Ohio is taking action. As of October 17, Ohio has prohibited and criminalized the sale, possession and use of bath salts. The bill also bans synthetic marijuana products like K2 and Spice.

Nationwide, states are reporting an increase in medical emergency calls and drugged driving arrests as a result of these substances. Additionally, the American Association of Poison Control Centers reports that in the first six months of 2011 centers received 1,110 percent more calls than they received during all of 2010.

Recent Study About Employer Testing

From our archives: Previous articles that have some relevance today

Original date: 5/2007

A 2006 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that 84 percent of employers required new hires to pass drug screenings, and 39 percent randomly tested employees after they were hired. In addition, 73 percent tested workers when drug use was suspected and 58 percent required testing after accidents on the job.

Tags: drug free workplace, drug usage

Medical Marijuana Updates

In the Buckeye State, three initiatives to legalize medical marijuana are underway. Ohio House Bill 214 would allow qualified patients to possess 200 grams of marijuana and 12 mature plants. It has been assigned to the Committee of Health and Aging for discussion. The second initiative is the Ohio Alternative Treatment Amendment. If passed, this constitutional amendment would permit patients or caregivers to grow 12 plants and possess up to 3.5 ounces of processed marijuana. To date, amendment supporters have failed to collect enough valid signatures to get amendment wording approved by Attorney General Mike DeWine.

The last initiative, the Ohio Medical Cannabis Act of 2012, would establish a governing body to oversee medical marijuana production and distribution, similar to the state’s regulation of vineyards and alcoholic beverage sales. “The proposed language has addressed many of the issues we have seen other states stumble over either during or as a result of the implementation of such a law,” said Dee Mason, president of Working Partners^®. However, on September 20, Attorney General Mike Dewine rejected the bill’s summary because of content flaws.

Besides Ohio, Washington and California have also been dealing with medical marijuana issues. Seattle, in response to the state allowing municipalities to run their own programs, has established a new licensing and registration system for medical marijuana distributors. In April, San Diego increased restrictions on dispensaries but voters challenged the adjustments, causing the city council to repeal these restrictions

Meth Getting More Potent

U.S. methamphetamine production has drastically decreased since 2005. This reduction coincided with legislation regulating the drug’s chief ingredient, pseudoephedrine. Not to be dissuaded, however, Mexican drug manufacturers have continued to perfect alternative methods of creating meth.

The result is a more potent version now flooding our borders. For example, Tucson’s Border Patrol Unit has seized 450 pounds of the new meth in just the first five months of this year – only 10 percent what local police believe is flowing into the area.

Alcohol and Water Don’t Mix

According to recent information released by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 50 percent of all deaths related to water recreation among teens and adults involve alcohol.  The report warns that drinking before swimming, surfing and diving can impair judgment and coordination. Alcohol consumption has been known to result in swimmers diving into shallow water, swimming out too far and catching waves that are too dangerous to ride while intoxicated.

Boating and alcohol is particularly problematic. NIAAA believes 60 percent of all boating fatalities involve alcohol. In 2010, 126 boating deaths and 293 injuries were attributed to alcohol-related boating accidents.