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What to Do if you Suspect your Employee is Abusing Alcohol or Drugs

As a nation, we are becoming increasingly aware that alcoholism (or excessive use of alcohol) and drug addiction, are at epidemic levels—you only need to switch on the television to see the devastating effects amongst loved ones and within our communities. The statistics are alarming: deaths from drug and alcohol abuse are increasing year-over-year and it is costing the economy $249 billion. It begs the question what can be done to make a change, and to intervene early enough so that people need not lose a life? This post explores the nature of alcohol and drug abuse, the signs to look for, and some of the options available.

What is excessive use of alcohol?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines excessive use of alcohol as:

  • Binge drinking (consuming 4 or more alcoholic beverages per occasion for women, or 5 or more drinks per occasion for men).
  • Heavy drinking (consuming 8 or more alcoholic beverages per week for women or 15 or more alcoholic beverages per week for men).
  • Any drinking by pregnant women or those younger than age 21.

 

Excessive use of alcohol statistics

The CDC estimates that excessive alcohol use leads to approximately 88,000 deaths each year; shortening the lives of those who died by an average of 30 years. Further, excessive drinking was responsible for 1 in 10 deaths among working-age adults aged 20-64 years.

Drug addiction statistics

According to an article just published by The New York Times, it is estimated that drug overdose deaths in 2016 exceeded 59,000*—an increase of 19% from 2015.

The economic and financial implications of drug and alcohol abuse

The economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption in 2010 was estimated at $249 billion.

From an organization perspective, drug abuse and addiction cost U.S. companies around $100 billion every year, according to labor and accident insurance statistics. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) state that more than 70 percent of those abusing illicit drugs in America are employed—as are most binge drinkers.

It is safe to say that these facts are alarming and impactful. There are national campaigns run by a number of organizations and government agencies (CDC, The Surgeon General) as a preventative measure, and to help limit damage.

What are the signs of drug use or excessive use of alcohol?

As an employer, do you know what signs to look out for before it starts costing your organization?

While it is important for management to bear in mind that sub-standard work is not always drug or alcohol related, there are some common signs of alcohol or substance abuse. The following indicators can highlight to employers that a conversation with the employee may be required. In an attempt to identify the reasons behind the worker’s change in behavior and productivity:

  1. There is a decline in personal appearance or hygiene. Is the employee wearing the same clothes as the day before, or is body odor becoming prevalent?
  2. They complain of difficulties in relationships, or at home.
  3. They are increasingly taking time off work for illness or family issues.
  4. They are becoming less punctual in their arrival at work, or asking to leave early. Do they come up with excuses which don’t seem plausible?
  5. They seem tired and lethargic throughout the day.

 

What can employers do if you suspect an employee is using drugs or alcohol?

There are a number of options available ranging from drug/alcohol testing, performance reviews, to dismissal. According to The Surgeon General, in The National Prevention Strategy there are a number of actions that businesses and employers can do:

 

  • Implement policies that facilitate the provision of SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment or offer alcohol and substance abuse counseling through employee assistance programs.
  • Include substance use disorder benefits in health coverage and encourage employees to use these services as needed.
  • Implement training programs for owners, managers, and staff that build knowledge and skills related to responsible beverage service.

 

What options available to employers?

It is worth noting that the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and many similar state statutes consider alcoholism to be a protected disability, and therefore the subject should be approached with caution. The ADA specifically states that you can hold alcoholics to the same performance and conduct standards as all other employees. But before heading down the disciplinary, drug testing, or performance route, it might be worth considering what you can do to be more supportive.

More often than not, if someone is approached with empathy in an environment where they feel they can be open, they are more likely to share what is going on for them. From that place you can be supportive, and your human resources department can compile data about help sites, local clinics, mentors, advisers, and groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), or advise on the appropriateness of an Employee Assistance Program. The employer can then reference such help and reach an agreement with the employee that helps improve the situation, instead of leaving it solely up to the employee to find help or be fired.

People who suffer with addiction live a life of shame, guilt, remorse, and fear. More often than not, a helping hand and a supportive ear, can go a long way toward getting them the help they need.

If the employee is less than forthcoming about the problem and seems defensive, then the more formal route may be the only option available. Employers, of course, can issue official warnings that an employee performing below expectations will be terminated if that employee does not amend their performance. It is also possible to ban alcohol from the workplace or incorporate random drug and alcohol testing. Your human resources department will be able to advise you on the most appropriate course of action.

*The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will not be able to calculate final numbers until December.

Biography:

Writer and wellness advocate, Olivia Pennelle (Liv), is in long-term recovery. Liv passionately believes in a fluid and holistic approach to recovery. Her popular site Liv’s Recovery Kitchen is a resource for the journey toward health and wellness in recovery. For Liv, the kitchen represents the heart of the home: to eat, share, and love. You will find Liv featured amongst top recovery writers and bloggers, published on websites such as: Recovery.Org, The Fix, Intervene, Workit Health, iExhale, Sapling, Addiction Unscripted, Transformation is Real, Sanford House, Winward Way & Casa Capri.

Sources:

Fact Sheets – Preventing Excessive Alcohol Use, 2016. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Alcohol Related Disease Impact (ARDI), 2013. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Drug Deaths in America Are Rising Faster Than Ever. The New York Times, June 5, 2017.

Excessive Drinking Costs U.S. $223.5 Billion, 2014. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Binge Drinking, 2012. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Economic Status and Abuse. National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD).

Preventing Drug Abuse and Excessive Alcohol Use, Surgeon General, US Department of Health and Human Services

Drinking On The Job? Five Things Employers Need To Know In The Wake Of The USC Football Coach Controversy, October 2015. Fisher Phillips.

 

From https://drugtestsinbulk.com/blog/what-to-do-if-you-suspect-your-employee-is-abusing-alcohol-or-drugs/

From https://drugtestsinbulk0.wordpress.com/2017/06/09/what-to-do-if-you-suspect-your-employee-is-abusing-alcohol-or-drugs/

Don’t Make These 7 Background Screening Mistakes

Does your company have a background screening process in place? Do you sometimes wonder if it’s as efficient and effective as it should be? You’re not alone. Companies across the country have background screening procedures in place, but some just don’t quite hit the mark. So, let’s take a look at the top seven background screening mistakes being made today.

  1. Not Having a Background Screening Policy

The very first mistake you can make in business is not even having a background screening policy. Verifying the honesty of a potential employee is one aspect of checking into someone’s history, and it can mean the difference between hiring an employee who steals from you and an employee who makes your company money.

A simple screening can be as low as $15; however, it’s important to be diligent in your researching of the companies that are offering background screening, to ensure they are compliant with all the laws regarding background screens.

Each jurisdiction has a slightly different set of rules on a local level, so when you’re choosing the screening company you want to use, be advised to learn as much as you can about their specific practices.

  1. Not Getting the Candidate’s Permissionbackground check

This is an absolutely essential part of the process. Doing a background check for employment requires permission from the candidate, as well as their information such as name, address, and social security number. There are a number of online options through which you can submit their information, and the turnaround time is shorter than mailing in a request.

Disclosure of background screenings is also a good way to go ahead and make sure that those applying are willing to submit to the screening. This way you have transparency from the beginning, and you are showing the boundaries of acceptable behavior up front.

This is also a way to save time and effort when someone begins the hiring process but fails a background screen. Since it is such a potential deal breaker, legally and otherwise, permission is always necessary.

  1. Avoiding Education Background Checks

Education is a key component to a successful employee. Sometimes people will lie on their resumes to get the job. In the day and age of digital technology, it is fairly simple to contact education institutions to confirm a candidate’s listed education experience.

Contacting an institution’s alumni program is the best way to get to the truth most expediently. If a person lies on their application, they will most likely lie to you, their employer, because they have proven to be willing to do so in the first place.

Be sure to cover all points of their education path, and if necessary, you can also ask for copies of their transcripts or diplomas. Providing proof of education can help to increase the level of trust you have in them as well.

  1. Not Verifying Temporary and Contract Workers

It is very important to check every employee in your company. Temporary workers and contractors who are not on full time payroll are still employees, and they can sometimes even pose more of a threat because they are not committed to the company business practices for the long-term.

Making sure that every worker has a clear background, especially if you are going to bring them into your sensitive system, is not something to skip. Background checks prevent theft, fraud, and protect your company’s reputation, too.

It is the responsibility of the company to be aware of the background of every employee even if they are only employed temporarily, so be sure to allot the proper resources to easily screen everyone. Small investments in your present procedures can prevent costly mistakes in your future.

  1. The Wrong Timing

Accurate records are important to find, and it is equally important to know who you are interviewing. Running a check at the beginning of the hiring process means that you will be more likely to reject them in advance if you find a discrepancy.

If you have a chance to meet the person, shake their hand, and look them in the eye, you get a feel for who they are now. Some people make mistakes and then learn and grow from them.

By giving people a chance to explain themselves and any potential red flags ahead of time, you can begin to trust them as you get to know each candidate a bit more personally. Through the interview process, you will be able to determine many things about their character.

Creating a contingency of acceptance for employment based upon the results is a great way to put off the request for the background check, yet saves you the difficulties in losing a new hire at the last minute.

  1. Mistaken Identity

Mistaken identity is more of a problem now with a larger population and a greater probability of exact name copies. When you submit a request for a background search, especially in a larger city, you may find multiple reports under the exact same name.

This can be a serious problem if the person’s report comes back with drug or traffic charges, when in fact their correct record is clean. It can cost them the job and tarnish their reputation, without the truth ever being exposed. So, it’s important to be forthcoming with findings to ensure proper identity.

  1. Limited Database Searches

A final huge mistake that can be made is choosing the wrong database(s) to research a potential candidate’s’ criminal history. We have a global job pool now, and therefore, thoroughly investigating someone’s full history may include running a background screening in another country.

Be sure to investigate all the legal aspects of running background screenings, especially when contacting other countries. Make sure you choose a database that will collect and report the most thorough records legally as well. Also, avoid using only social media sources to check on someone’s activities to get a read on his or her history. A person may be hiding something, and it is much better to prevent the high cost of resolving legal matters ahead of time.

From https://drugtestsinbulk.com/blog/7-background-screening-mistakes-made-today/

From https://drugtestsinbulk0.wordpress.com/2017/05/23/dont-make-these-7-background-screening-mistakes/

Drug Tests & Background Checks- The Process of Hiring

Hiring Employees

Are you ready to hire new employees for your business? Maybe you want to bring in some new people for an expansion or perhaps you’re just opening. Performing background checks and drug tests are often essential parts of the hiring process.

When you place an advertisement for employment you are casting a wide net across many people, and you can’t always tell for sure that a potential new hire is always telling the truth, as everyone wants to put their best foot forward. Most of the time, these checks and tests are standard procedure and occur at the onset of an offer for employment.

The first step is to place your ad and then sort the responses into potential yes and no categories. For those employees who seem like a good match for your company, you will then want to interview them either over the phone or in person.

Once you have selected your candidates and put them through your company’s initial interview process, you can ask them to sign documents approving a background check and or drug test, with fulfillment of the offer contingent upon the results.

Background Checks

Submitting a candidate’s information for a background check is fairly simple now that we have online request strategies and payment options to utilize. With a name, address, and Social Security number, you can pay a small fee to the National Criminal Database Search for a copy of a potential employee’s background check nationwide.

Misdemeanors may or may not interfere with a person’s ability to perform the job depending on your requirements. Someone who lost their license due to a DUI is obviously not the right candidate for a Catering Driver position. Felonies are obviously more serious and should be considered potential red flags.

There are some instances, however, where people with felonies are in vocational rehabilitation working with others to find suitable employment. Some companies do hire individuals with felony records, and there may be government incentives to do so, if you so choose.

Drug Tests

Drug testing a potential hire is always a good idea before you officially hire the individual, so you can ensure that he or she is a responsible person without an addiction disorder or criminal behavior.

You can purchase small test kits in bulk that can be administered orally, as well as cups to dip testing strips into a urine sample. These tests provide a positive or negative result right away, which will alert you to a need for confirmation.

A lab will still need to affirm the results, usually with a urine test, although you may choose not to hire them because of the first test result. Urine testing is often provided by a separate medical facility, and you may or may not pay the administrative fees, which can average around $40 for a 5-panel test, which includes Amphetamines, Opiates, Cocaine, PCP, and THC. There are many other comprehensive panels that can be included in the assay but they cost more and may require a blood or hair sample as well.

 Insurance

 Full disclosure for insurance reports is an important part of receiving your reimbursement if an accident or injury occurs. If an employee is under the influence, especially on the job, you may be responsible for the damages, and this can get expensive rather quickly.

Safety in the workplace starts with attention and prevention, and someone who is on drugs might be less likely to pay attention to their tasks and their environment, especially with pills and the use of opiates.

Someone on “Uppers” may do their job well, but it may be at the expense of their life. They will pay with their health and mental stability, and you, as their employer, will pay with denied insurance claims and some major risks to your business.

Another reason to invest in a “Drug Free Work Place” is to take advantage of the federal Workers Compensation discounts that they offer. If you can guarantee a drug free work place, you can get discounts on your worker’s compensation insurance.

Legal Rights

Some people do have legal rights when it comes to testing positively for drugs; however, in most cases, when someone tests positive, it costs them the job offer. Some individuals with disabilities may be cleared to take an opioid prescription that is synthetic like Tramadol. This will trigger a false positive on a drug test; however, it is not false because they are prescribed low levels of the drug, so there is a grey area there that is going to need refinement as we work toward a better approach to drug policy.

Medical Marijuana is another legal boundary that needs to be further investigated. There are now over 32 studied compounds from marijuana species varieties and THC is only one of them, specifically the first one identified. As more people are being prescribed medical marijuana, with positive results, we must assess whether it is a possible issue to include it with the truly dangerous drugs that compose the rest of the category.

Safety and Loss Prevention

Some accidents can occur whether your employees are diligent or not, and if someone is careless, this poses an even bigger risk. Maybe a potential hire was once fired because he caught a previous store on fire and went to jail for property damage. This may equate to large payouts from insurance claims, so it is important to drug test your employees and do background-checks as well to protect yourself and your company. This will also prevent loss of inventory, due to the mishandling of items or theft.

When sifting through the new hire process, it is important to put a significant emphasis on reliable drug testing and thorough background checks to protect your company from future legal ramifications. Both of these procedures plays a part in streamlining the hiring process and maintaining a drug-free, consistent environment in which your employees can thrive and be productive.

From https://drugtestsinbulk.com/blog/drug-tests-background-checks-the-process-of-hiring/

From https://drugtestsinbulk0.wordpress.com/2017/05/15/drug-tests-background-checks-the-process-of-hiring/

To Save Lives from Drug Abuse, Start in the Early Years

Drug addiction obviously recognizes no barriers in demographics. In the ‘80s, cocaine careened through the rarefied towers of Wall Street down to celebrity-studded neighborhoods from one coast to the other in the U.S. A noticeable contingency of 1960’s flower children are still fighting some addictions as sexagenarians today. Perhaps their current dependencies stem from their inurement to pot, coke, speed, ‘shrooms or acid as a young peacenik defying the establishment.

Substance abuse furtively invades the living rooms of otherwise successful, upstanding community members in the way of nonmedical use of prescription drugs, while it dots the landscapes of our schools and inner-city havens with such designer tags as “spice,” “liquid X,” “kit-kat” and “ecstasy.”

No matter the range of drug abuse or the names attached to a drug, most professionals agree that prevention must start at the point of origin. Most experts concur that drug habits originate more often in our post-adolescent years than during any other stages of our lives.

A bulk of psychiatrists, physicians, counselors, and other medical authorities are therefore focusing their attentions on teens and young adults.

According to the National Institutes of Health, teenagers comprise the largest contingent of drug users in the U.S. Although the use of illicit drugs in general has dipped in some years, the institute notes, the use of pot or marijuana continues to climb among teens over the past few years.

According to recent studies, nearly 24 percent of young adults of 18 to 20 years old use an illicit drug over an approximate 30-day span. This is where the living-room and next-door-neighbor aspersions creep into the conversation regarding prescription drug abuse. Many young adults obtain ADHD drugs such as Ritalin, Adderall, and DXM from their doctors and friends, if not painkillers and stimulants from their parents’ unmonitored medicine cabinets.

The increasing spread of the very affordable yet deadly K2 among teens and young adults is rising as well, mostly due to its affordability and ease of access from many convenience stores.

Because of statistics and general drug-abuse history, a growing fraternity of medical professionals believes that saving lives on the deadly battlefield of illicit drug use must start within the ranks of our young people.

Why Interdiction Should Start with the Young

Groups such as the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) find that introduction to drugs as a teen or young adult increases the odds of that person eventually becoming addicted to a drug. They aver that keeping kids from experimenting with drugs can prevent drug addiction and ultimately save lives. They also subscribe to the familiar adage, “prevention is always better than the cure.”

In essence, these medical professionals are propounding prevention so that recovery becomes moot.

But How Do You Detect Early Abuse?

Sometimes early detection of drug abuse centers more on when you look than where you look.

While adults are vulnerable to drug abuse when lifestyle pivots occur—the loss of a job or a divorce, for example—the thin ice for teens appears on their landscapes when parents must move and, subsequently, the kids must change schools. Just as challenging are transitions from primary to middle school or from the middle to high school. New arenas and new exposures are fertile grounds for the introduction of drugs as kids try to orient themselves or fit in to these new social environments.

Look for new, added peer pressures upon your children. Indeed, NIDA cites a growing number of teens are abusing prescription stimulants to lose weight or help them extend their study hours.

As a parent or guardian, if you notice problematic behaviors in your child—e.g., poor study habits, isolation from social activities, poor health routines, fatigue, sloppiness, or even stealing—examine the child’s recent environmental transitions. Then, start talking to doctors or looking for more serious red flags that can affirm a child’s nascent entry into drug abuse.

The Younger They Are, The Harder They Fall

If you look at the nature of drug addiction, cutting this nemesis off at the pass—so to speak—becomes even more vital. Research shows that drugs change brains. They fool the brain’s receptors and create a psychological hunger sparked by particular emotions (e.g., apprehension, disappointment, loss).

Further, as NIDA points out, drugs can disrupt brain functions. This portends a particular impairment to a youth’s development. During childhood and adolescence, the development of motivation, memory, aptitude, judgment, and behavior itself are crucial to ensuring a healthy, productive life. In this essence, a child stands more to lose than an adult who stumbles into drug abuse. Sadly, the end to a life can start many years before that life physically ends.

From https://drugtestsinbulk.com/blog/to-save-lives-from-drug-abuse-start-in-the-early-years/

From https://drugtestsinbulk0.wordpress.com/2017/05/09/to-save-lives-from-drug-abuse-start-in-the-early-years/

The Role Prescription Medication Plays in Opiate Abuse

Prescription drug abuse continues to inch its way out of the closet of people’s private lives with each reportable death and disorder, especially since the end of the 20th century.

Its notoriety now even exceeds the death rate from heroin and cocaine overdoses since the turn of the millennium.

So, what is the instigator for such a troubling trend? Prescription drugs—namely, opioids, depressants, and stimulants. Climbing emergency room visits pertaining to these drug overdoses, a rise in treatments for their abuse, and, unfortunately, the increasing number of deaths related to prescription drugs serves as a testament to the evolving threat of this legalized route to drug addiction.

Of these three troublemakers, the opioids emerge most hideously from beneath an otherwise concealing rug of our nation’s living rooms.

Since 1999, deaths from prescription opioid abuse have quadrupled, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Commonly prescribed by doctors to treat pain, opioids alone have outdistanced cocaine and heroine in overdose deaths since 2002.

In defense of doctors and the medical establishment, however, the most traveled routes to prescription drug abuse stem from an individual’s compulsion to exceed the prescribed dosage, an individual’s access to someone else’s prescription, and sometimes exaggerated claims of pain.

The aforementioned links to abuse fall under the classification of nonmedical use of prescription drugs, a misuse that seduces nearly 6,000 persons each day, according to a 2014 study completed by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

The survey blamed ease of access as the main culprit in nonmedical use of opioids and other prescription drugs.

As consternating as these available statistics may seem, they may not be representing the entire magnitude of the problem. After all, because prescription abuse occurs behind the four walls of our homes, its detection is not as easily achieved as those misusing drugs on our streets.

How the Brain Gets Drunk on Opioids

Of all the types of abused prescription drugs, the opioid variety may be the most subversive. To understand its subterfuge, you must examine how it sabotages our brain’s chemistry.

First, let’s stop thinking of opioids as a foreign invader in our nervous system because they naturally occur in our bodies. Our bodies send opioids to our brains to meliorate pain or injury. But, our bodies never produce enough to mitigate chronic pain, nor do they produce enough to cause an overdose, according to the National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment (NAABT).

External opioids basically fool the brain into welcoming them, effectively creating onramps to the brain’s freeway. This neurotransmission over-stimulates the brain’s opioid receptors. An abuser’s brain ends up excessively stockpiling the dopamine produced by opioids. Dopamines influence what the brain tells our bodies to do. In this case, it regulates emotions, movements, cognition, and motivation. It is most proficient in achieving the feeling of euphoria when it floods the brain.

The NAABT uses the analogy of a reward to the brain when dopamine proliferates. You might compare it to a sugar rush, a craving for more sweets. Excess dopamine puts the brain in a Pavlovian mode, remembering such stimulation or reward as something worth repeating over and over—the essence of addiction.

The Most Vulnerable to Get Hooked on Opiates

Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of opioid abuse lies in its most likely victims: women, the old, and the young. Because the number of prescriptions for opioids has nearly tripled over the last 25 years, these groups are finding a flooded market for abuse.

Particularly, abuse of opioid prescriptions among women in the U.S. has reached an all-time high. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated in one report that 18 women die each day due to an overdose of prescription painkillers. The CDC also noted that during just the first decade of the millennium, deaths from opioid abuse among women increased fivefold.

As for the elderly, a report presented to the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) indicated that about a fifth of persons 65 and older take painkillers several times a week. Moreover, the addiction rate for that age group stands at 18 percent.

Particularly noticeable in this age group is the means of obtaining opioids. Research indicates the elderly get their hands on prescription painkillers mostly through a well-meaning friend or relative.

In this essence, the abuse of prescription opioids among persons over 60 is especially furtive.

Similarly, abuse of prescription opioids by young people is greatly facilitated through access from friends or relatives. The National Institute on Drug Abuse points to a 2010 study which revealed that more than half of a group of 12th graders indicated they were given the drugs or bought them from a friend or relative.

The ease of access is no wonder when you look at studies that point to a stockpile of prescription painkillers great enough to medicate every U.S. resident during every hour of every day in any given month.

What to Do?

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) espouses a multi-pronged approach to reducing the rate of nonmedical use of prescription drugs in general. Each step requires the collective diligence of patients, pharmacists, and physicians.

1. Doctors need to intensify their screening methods when seeing patients on prescription drugs, which can be done through evidence-based methodologies. For example, a crescendo in patient refill requests from patients can indicate a dependency problem. Requests for refills or supplemental amounts of a drug between the regularly scheduled refills can also raise a red flag. They can also utilize state-run electronic databases to monitor how much is being prescribed to whom among their current patients.

2. Patients need to be open with their doctors when they first start to build up an excess inventory of a prescription drug. They need to enter into an agreement with their doctor that forbids them from altering a dosage regimen without discussing it fully with their physician. The agreement should also prohibit use of another person’s prescription drug and require a full understanding of the dangers of abusing drugs such as opioids. Finally, patients should agree to destroy or discard unused or expired prescription drugs.

3. Pharmacists can reinforce the need for a patient to abide by the instructions for each prescription. They can utilize networks with other pharmacists and physicians to report falsifications or otherwise fraudulent prescriptions. Such a network and database can also share observations of any foreboding patterns in a patient’s prescription.

Finally, NIDA notes that research and development must continue within the field of medicine to find non-addicting treatments for chronic pain. Because baby boomers are now becoming seniors and military service personnel are increasingly being treated for psychological as well as physical injuries, the need for medicines that pose less risk of addiction is paramount.

From https://drugtestsinbulk.com/blog/the-role-prescription-medication-plays-in-opiate-abuse/

From https://drugtestsinbulk0.wordpress.com/2017/05/03/the-role-prescription-medication-plays-in-opiate-abuse/

The Cost Analysis of Drug Testing

Drug usage is often considered to be a problem solely among the unemployed: that is, among people that employers don’t need to worry about. But data from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health revealed that two-thirds of all drug users over the age of 18 were in work. Because of this, you might expect that the vast majority of private employers would implement drug screening programs, but this isn’t the case.

According to the data, around two-fifths of employers don’t bother screening applicants for drugs. In addition to this, more than 64 percent don’t have an ongoing screening program for existing employees.

What’s surprising about this is that drug testing has a number of significant financial benefits, over and above the cost of testing. In a sense, investing in drug testing is a good way to get a return on a company’s investable funds, yet many companies choose to ignore the potential savings and miss out. According to a Society for Human Resource Management study, the cost of drug testing an employee is typically less than $40, meaning that the benefits are likely to far outweigh the costs.

The following are some of the risks that employers can mitigate through regular drug screening.

Risk 1: High Worker Turnover

A major issue for employers, in general, is high worker turnover. The cost of replacing workers can sometimes be as high as an entire year’s worth of salary for the position in question, especially if it is a well-paid role. Data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration suggests that substance abusers are more than three times as likely to change jobs in any given year than non-drug users, potentially leading to higher search and recruitment costs for companies. Drug screening, therefore, can help to reduce long-term HR costs by eliminating the people most likely to switch jobs.

Risk 2: Lower Productivity

Research suggests that people who use illegal drugs on a regular basis are also less productivity and that their work is of lower quality. This, in turn, ends up costing companies millions in additional payroll expenses with no extra work done. The Office of National Drug Control Policy has found that drug users are around 33 percent less productive than their non-drug-using colleagues. Companies that implemented drug testing saw a 19 percent increase in overall worker productivity.


Risk 3: Higher Absenteeism

High rates of absenteeism can result in substantial costs for businesses, especially when those absences are chronic and as a result of drug use. A report from the Working Partners National Conference Proceedings suggests that those who use drugs are more than two and a half times more likely to call in sick than those who don’t. That equates to an extra eight days of lost output per employee. Organizations, however, that implement drug testing see marked improvements in absentee rates. For instance, an SHRM study found that for companies with the highest rates of absenteeism (more than 15 percent), drug screening programs reduced time off by half.

From https://drugtestsinbulk.com/blog/the-cost-analysis-of-drug-testing/

From https://drugtestsinbulk0.wordpress.com/2017/03/14/the-cost-analysis-of-drug-testing/

How Long can Alcohol be Detected in a Mouth Swab Test?

More employers than ever are starting to use drug testing equipment to make random checks on their employees – and for a variety of reasons. Whether you work in a sensitive environment or need to guarantee to your employer that you are keeping yourself healthy, there is every chance that you might experience a mouth swab test. To ensure you always pass a testing program, it’s important to understand how long a saliva drug test might go back in terms of time, and also ask a few other questions. How accurate are mouth swab drug tests when it comes to alcohol, how do they work, and how can you make sure you pass?

How does a saliva drug test work?

Saliva drug tests are used by many different employers, as well as the general authorities such as law enforcement officers. There are a few different methods that testers can use to check on the use of alcohol and drugs. The first is in a medical setting when a simple swab will be used to remove saliva from a subject’s mouth. The swab will then be sent to a lab for further testing, and researchers will identify whether a particular drug – alcohol, cocaine, marijuana and much more – has been taken by the subject. There are standalone testing kits available, too,  which give instant results in a similar way to the pregnancy kits you see in your local pharmacy. Electronic tools are also on the market, which gives a straightforward reading on a display – again, these are instant results.

How far back do saliva drug tests go?

You’re probably wondering how far back does a saliva drug test go in terms of time after your last drink, and how long is THC in your saliva for after you have been smoking marijuana. Well, the truth is that it can vary wildly. You can ask yourself the question of how accurate are saliva drug tests all you like, but, ultimately, it all boils down to time, your body, and the frequency of your use. However, there are a few standards that can give you a rough guide of what to expect. In short, both alcohol and marijuana can be detected by a mouth swab drug test after an hour. But, alcohol can often be undetectable for anything between 6-12 hours, while marijuana can be present in mouth swabs between 12-24 hours. So, are saliva drug tests accurate? Yes, but time is also a critical factor.

How accurate is a saliva drug test?

As we mentioned above, when you ask yourself how accurate are swab drug tests in detecting alcohol in your system, it’s important to understand that if you don’t drink for 24 hours before your test, you will likely pass. However, if you have had a drink or two, and get a test request within that critical period, the swab tests can be incredibly accurate. In fact, according to researchers, saliva tests can be just as accurate as invasive blood tests, which is one of the primary reasons why they are so popular with employers – and the authorities.

 

From https://drugtestsinbulk.com/blog/how-long-can-alcohol-be-detected-in-a-mouth-swab-test/

From https://drugtestsinbulk0.wordpress.com/2017/03/09/how-long-can-alcohol-be-detected-in-a-mouth-swab-test/

What is an Oral Drug Test?

There are several ways that you can be tested for drug use if you are ever required to do so. Some situations that might require you to take a drug test include applying for a job or enlisting in the military, being arrested, or being on probation. Drug tests can be conducted using samples of saliva, blood, urine, or even hair. An oral drug test that tests your saliva is a common method to use to check for a variety of drugs that might be present in your system. These might include marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamine, and methamphetamine. If you have been asked to take a drug test, or perhaps have used drugs and are concerned about taking one in the future, it’s a good idea to know how they work and what they can detect,

How Is an Oral Drug Test Conducted?

The first thing you might be wondering is how an oral drugs test is carried out. It is, in fact, one of the most simple tests to take. There are no needles involved, and there’s no trying to give a urine sample with someone watching. All it involves is someone taking a sample of saliva from your mouth by swabbing the inside of your cheek. It only takes a few seconds to do, and the swab is then put into a container and sent to a lab to be tested.

How Long Can Drugs Be Detected in Saliva?

Another important thing to understand is how long drugs can be detected through the testing of saliva. Most of the time, an oral drug test can only tell if someone has used drugs within the last 24 to 48 hours. If drug use occurred more than two days ago, it’s unlikely the results would be positive. However, it’s important to remember that everybody and drug is different. Some can stay in the system for several days. Habitual users of marijuana can find that THC is detectable for several months.

How Soon Can Drugs Be Picked Up in Saliva?

Drugs can be detected through an oral test in as little as 30 to 60 minutes after use. This makes it quicker than some other methods, such as urine samples, which might not pick up on such recent use. Because it can pick up on drug use that occurred very recently, an oral test is often used by law enforcement after accidents or if the test is due to a suspicion that someone has recently taken drugs.

How Do Saliva Drug Tests Work?

It can also be useful to understand how the saliva is tested for drugs. Most companies that carry out testing on saliva samples put them through a couple of stages. For example, they might use enzyme immunoassay technology to test it the first time. This technology helps to avoid the possibility of a false positive from an over-the-counter medication.  If a positive result is obtained, they then test it again using mass spectrometry, which gives an even more accurate result.

Oral drug tests are a simple but effective method of testing for drugs. They can detect recent drug use, although not necessarily after more than a couple of days.

From https://drugtestsinbulk.com/blog/what-is-an-oral-drug-test/

From https://drugtestsinbulk0.wordpress.com/2017/03/08/what-is-an-oral-drug-test/