Drug use - Articles

NSC unveils comprehensive plan for presidential candidates to combat opioid misuse

NSC – along with more than 50 organizations – urges candidates to adopt the plan in full or use it to close gaps in existing strategies

February 28, 2020

The National Safety Council (NSC), in partnership with more than 50 organizations and companies nationwide, released a comprehensive, inclusive strategy to address opioid misuse that all presidential candidates – regardless of party – should either adopt in full or use to close gaps in existing plans and policies.

DOL grant to help Maine workers affected by opioid epidemic

February 24, 2020

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced an opioid-crisis National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grant for up to $6,281,891 – with $2,093,964 released initially – awarded to the Maine Department of Labor. The grant will support disaster-relief jobs and provide employment services to eligible individuals in Maine communities affected by the health and economic impact of widespread opioid use, addiction and overdose.

Auto plant closures linked to rise in opioid deaths

January 17, 2020

People who live in U.S. counties where automobile assembly plants close are much more likely to die of opioid overdoses than the general public, according to a study published on the JAMA network. Researchers compared data between counties with automotive plants that were closed between 1999 and 2016 with those that remained open. Automotive assembly plant closures were associated with a statistically significant increase in county-level opioid overdose mortality rates among adults aged 18 to 65 years.

The role of veterinarians in the opioid crisis

Julie Tisdale-Pardi MA Lee S. Newman MD, MA Lilliana Tenney MPH

November 26, 2019

More than 399,000 people died from overdoses involving prescription and illicit opioids from 1999-2017.[i] There are many efforts to educate physicians and dentists about their roles and responsibilities in addressing this national crisis. But what about veterinarians? Animals, like humans, may receive opioids for pain.

Weekly news round-up

November 23, 2019

Wearable safety tech for construction workers, Uber automated vehicles are unsafe at any speed and the toll of antibiotic resistant infections in the U.S. were among the top occupational safety and health stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

Construction workers use marijuana, cocaine more than others

November 18, 2019

Construction trade and extraction workers (CTEW) are at high-risk for drug use, according to a study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, that found marijuana, cocaine, and non-prescription opioid (NPO) use in particular was higher among that group. Construction trade and extraction workers: A population at high risk for drug use in the United States, 2005–2014 also revealed that: Precarious employment was associated with increased odds of marijuana and NPO use.

CBD may yield cannabis-positive urine drug tests

November 8, 2019

That CBD wellness product you’re using could cause you to fail a workplace drug test. That’s according to an admittedly small study out of Johns Hopkins Medicine, in which researchers found that a single vaping episode of cannabis that is similar in chemical composition to that found in legal hemp products could possibly result in positive results on urine drug screening tests commonly used by many employers and criminal justice or school systems.

Report: Dangerous jobs, opioid overdose deaths linked in Mass.

November 4, 2019

A report by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) shows a strong correlation between hazardous jobs and opiate addiction and overdoses in that state. The 21-page study titled Opioid-related Overdose Deaths in Massachusetts by Industry and Occupation, 2011-2015 found that there were a total of 5,580 opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts from 2011 through 2015. Of the 4,284 worker death certificates deemed comprehensive enough to study, 1,096 were found to be employed in construction/extraction.

NSC to employers: Allow NO cannabis use among workers in safety sensitive positions

October 22, 2019

Employers who are struggling to understand how the evolving cannabis legalization landscape will impact their workplaces are getting some guidance from the National Safety Council (NSC). Regardless of whether cannabis consumption is allowed by their state, the NSC says employers should prohibit cannabis use for those in safety sensitive positions.