Author: John

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64,000 Americans died from overdoses last year — 175 every day, seven every hour.

These are real-life statistics of the effects the opioid epidemic has had on the American population.

On Thursday, October 26th, President trump declared the opioid crisis as a public health emergency.

This Opioid Crisis is the worst drug crisis in American history.

President Trump

Opioid addiction does not discriminate. It does not target one age, one race, one income level. Opioid addiction is everywhere.

Eric Bolling, a former reporter for FOX news has felt the effects of this epidemic first hand.

Bolling’s only child, 19-year-old Eric Chase was found dead September 9th, 2017, the same day his father left his job at Fox News.

After undergoing an autopsy, the report concluded the 19-year-old contained numerous illegal substances in his system, including the deadly drug fentanyl.

On September 11, 2017, the post-mortem toxicology report revealed Eric Chase had cocaine, marijuana, Xanax, and the opioid drugs, fentanyl and cyclopropyl fentanyl, in his system. 

Many friends expressed their condolences to Eric Bolling and his family.

On October 26th, 2017 Eric Bolling tweeted “Adrienne and I thank you for your continued prayers and support. We must fight against this national epidemic, too many innocent victims.”

According to time, since 2000 the number of opioid-related deaths has risen more than 137 percent.

opioid crisis
Map shows opioid-related deaths per 100,000 residents in 2015; 2c x 4 inches; 96.3 mm x 101 mm;

“This epidemic is a national health emergency,” Trump said during an address at the White House. “Nobody has seen anything like what is going on now. As Americans, we cannot allow this to continue. It is time to liberate our communities from this scourge of drug addiction.”

“We can be the generation that ends the opioid epidemic. We can do it.” These encouraging words stated by President Donald Trump challenges Americans to do all that they can to hinder this heartbreaking disease.

accredited drug testing

Visit Accredited Drug Testing to stay up to date on this topic, and other topics relating to the Drug and Alcohol Industry.

 

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The National Association of Professional Background Checks (NAPBS) is hosting their 2017 Annual Conference in Orlando, FL from September 17-19.

As a professional background check provider, Accredited Drug Testing will be attending the NAPBS annual conference and showcasing our background check solutions and answering any questions attendees may have about the background check industry.

Please stop by booth #337 and Say Hello!

The conference offers a diverse range of educational topics ranging from strategic business sessions, futuristic technology, legal issues, nuts and bolts “how-to” programs, international screening techniques, compliance guidelines, employment discrimination and what’s on the horizon for consumer reporting agencies, to name just a few. Every attendee will be able to take away valuable information and resources to benefit their specific business goals.

The Exhibit Hall will be packed with industry partners showcasing their products and services. This is your best opportunity to learn about the latest industry products to enhance your business. Also, interspersed throughout the educational sessions will be Vendor Demonstrations during which companies that supply products or services to the background screening industry can showcase their products or services.

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When it comes to drug testing, especially for employment purposes, we are constantly bombarded with detection periods for drug testing and how drugs come up positive. We are here to debunk any mystifying details about the entire process so the next time you are called for a test, you are prepared.

Positive vs. Negative Tests

Most people don’t tend to dive deep on what makes a drug test positive or negative, they usually go into the test knowing whether they have passed or not simply be evaluating their personal drug use. But what if you have a prescription for painkillers or even have a Medical Marijuana Card? Then things can get a bit complicated. So let’s look at the process step-by-step from the beginning.

When getting scheduled for a drug test it is important to know that you will need to have a phone number on file that you can be reached at for reasons later on. But first, you will be scheduled for a drug test through Accredited Drug Testing by visiting our website (the one you are currently on) or by calling our national scheduling office at 1-800-221-4291.

Once you receive your donor pass you will proceed to the testing location at your earlier convenience (with Accredited Drug Testing you can even proceed the same day!). Once there you will take the test required (in certain cases urine, oral, or in others hair) and your end of the process is done from here on out.

After you take your drug test, your “sample” is then sent to a laboratory for testing. It is important to note that you will only come up positive for drugs that are included for testing in the test you took. For example, if you were sent to take a 5 Panel Urine Drug Test which only covers:

-Amphetamines

-Cocaine

-Marijuana

-MDA

-Opiates

-Phencyclidine (PCP)

You wouldn’t test positive for Oxycodone or Barbituates because your test doesn’t cover those panels. Even if you were actively taking those drugs. So as an employer it is important to know what exactly you are looking for in a drug testing so you are ordering the correct one for future candidates or randomly screening your current employees.

The test is then sent to a Medical Review Officer for a confirmation test. This test confirms the drugs found above the minimum levels required in your system. There are different levels for every drug and these levels are measured in nanograms for milliliter for urine and oral tests. These are considered the “cutoff levels”. A drug will not be found positive unless it meets that minimum level to be found in your system.

Who decides the “Cutoff” levels?

Cutoff levels for federally regulated drug testing programs (Department of Transportation for example) are established by mandatory guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Additionally, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) rule 49 CFR Part 40 harmonizes with HHS and describes the required procedures for conducting drug and alcohol testing for the federally-regulated transportation industry. Many non-regulated employers mirror the cutoff levels established by the government.

For the latest and greatest in drug testing news, continue to check AccreditedDrugTesting.net for more!

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Jon Jones of the MMA fighting world just can’t seem to catch a break. The fighter just tested positive on another drug test. And after a rocky history outside of the ring, his career may finally come to an end.

Before this, Mr. Jones had the chance of going down as one of UFC’s greatest athletes of all time, even being ranked number one in the world during his championship reign and currently has the longest active winning streak in UFC.

A Troublesome Past…

But outside of the cage, he’s been involved in several controversies. In 2012, Jones was arrested under suspicion of a DUI after he crashed his Bentley into a telephone pole in Binghamton, New York. He pleaded guilty and avoided any jail time.

In 2015 after moving to New Mexico full time to be closer to his training gym, he turned himself in for a hit-and-run case where he struck a car with a pregnant woman driving. She sustained some injuries breaking one arm with included a wrist injury. For this, he faced a felony charge of leaving the scene of a crime, one which included jail time. He ended up being sentenced to up to 18 months of supervised probation, while also being stripped of his title, being removed from official rankings and facing a 1 year suspension from UFC.

Then in 2016, when he was set to come back to the ring versus Daniel Cormier at UFC 200 a urine sample tested positive for 2 banned substances, he was forced to withdraw from the event.

And a month later the Nevada State Athletic Commission revealed Jones had tested positive for clomiphene and letrozole, which are both on the World Anti-Doping Agency banned substances list and are described as “hormone and metabolic modulators”. Jones claimed his innocence by stating he ate something intoxicated.

Fast forward to August 22nd, 2017  where Jones has tested positive yet again, but now for a different steroid. He has been indefinitely suspended again and if he is stripped of his title, it will revert to Daniel Cormier.

Cormier was notified of the news while on vacation and offered these comments “It’s hard to find words to describe how I’m feeling right now,” Cormier said. “I’m disappointed to hear the news. It’s very emotional. We as athletes are entitled to due process, and I will refrain from saying much more until I know exactly what happened.”

To hear the latest in drug testing news, check back every week on AccreditedDrugTesting.net.

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Accredited Drug Testing, Inc has been in business for over 4 years, and in that time we have grown exponentially. We are the nation’s leading provider of drug and alcohol testing. Our President and CEO James Greer has been an expert in the drug testing community for over 20 years. He is a successful entrepreneur and has grown the company to be an active and honored part of the drug testing industry. In drug testing, there is a lot of confusion especially when it comes to the rules and regulations associated with the industry and the ever changing laws on things like medical marijuana. And this is how we came up with the idea for American Drug Talk.

American Drug Talk is a show designed to talk about the issues affecting the nation’s drug and alcohol testing industry. Upcoming episodes will address issues such as medical marijuana in the workplace, U.S. Department of Transportation Drug and Alcohol Testing regulations (commonly referred to as Part 40), regulations on background checks. The show will also address issues facing today’s society in regards to the opioid epidemic and answer the viewers’ questions on any and all drug and alcohol testing policies and procedures.

There will also be training in several episodes to teach the skills needed to succeed in successful drug testing administration. All of the episodes will also include a guest that is an expert on the topic at hand. Occasionally there will be a guest on hand to speak about opinions they have on drug testing and the industry.

But most importantly, American Drug Talk is a conversation about drug use and testing throughout the nation. James Greer is our host and leader into demystifying the world and regulations of the testing industry. This show is meant to entertain and educate viewers each week with thought provoking discussions and lessons. We hope you tune into each week as we discuss America’s drug and alcohol testing industry.

 

American Drug Talk Ep. 1: Welcome

Watch Episode 1 Above!

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MMA Legend Conor Mcgregor and undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather’s upcoming match will be one for the books on August 26th, 2017.

What fight?

The athletes have done several press events to build anticipation for the fight, now dubbed “The Money Fight” being held in the T-Mobile Area in Las Vegas, Nevada. Where they face off and taunt each other with scare tactics.

But one thing both athletes have agreed on is being part of a USADA robust testing program. This program is very similar to the UFC Anti-Doping Program Mcgregor is still a part of. And while many are considering this fight a circus, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is insisting that this will be treated and regulated like all other boxing matches before it.

Who’s been drug testing?

Mcgregor has yet to be tested under the USADA’s program but has been tested 5 times in 2017 under the UFC testing program and has consistently come up negative. Mayweather, on the other hand, had been tested twice this month under the new program but hasn’t been tested in over 2 years since his fight with Andre Berto in September 2015. Mayweather is coming out of retirement for the big “Money Fight” this month.

For Mayweather some are worried this month was a bit late to begin testing but officials are insistent the drug testing will be continuous  moving forward.

“There is no maximum number of tests that can be performed and like our other programs, we will test robustly leading up to and during the fight in order to maximize deterrence and detection,” the spokesperson said. “Each athlete’s test history will be published on the USADA website and updated weekly.”

Who’s in charge?

The testing is administered through the United States Anti-doping Agency (USADA) but has not been registered with the Nevada State Athletic Commission as of yet. The USADA and NSAC have had differences in the past which spelled trouble for Mayweather during his Pacquaio fight in 2o15.

For the latest in drug testing industry news and DOT news, check out the rest of our blog at accrediteddrugtesting.net

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This week in the news, a U.S. Navy veteran went into a routine appointment at his local VA Clinic in Panama City Beach, Florida to get a cholesterol test done when he found something attached to his test results, the results of a drug screening. One he did not ask for.

His first reaction was that it was “kind of weird” the Panama City Herald reports.

Robert Williams, the veteran in question, said this was an infringement of his fourth amendment rights which include “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

A representative from Senator Marco Rubio’s office said the tests are not a part of the VA’s policy and aren’t to be given without the consent of the patients. Williams tested negative for all the drugs he was screened for, but he wasn’t concerned about the results- he is adamantly opposed to drugs- but that wasn’t the issue.

He claims this was a privacy infringement, but a representative of the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS) defends the drug screening that took place. “This test does not require consent from the veteran, but the veteran is free to do the test or not. … If there is proof a veteran isn’t taking his/her controlled substances responsibly, or doesn’t allow the provider to monitor the effectiveness of the medication(s) prescribed, the provider may stop the veteran’s prescription” representative Jerron Barnett wrote in a prepared statement to the press.

They have a right to do a urinalysis; it’s the drug test that’s a search of your person,” he said. “Just because they have a sample or tissue of mine does not mean they have a right to test it.” He also wonders how many more veterans will be subject to this testing without their knowledge and for those that do test positive, how it will affect their VA benefits such as health care, housing-related assistance and disability.

“The real question is who authorized this?” he said. “Whose idea was it? And who told (my doctor) his patients had to be drug-screened?” He said the VA’s inconsistent responses are in line with many issues plaguing the agency.

“That’s the thing about VA; they have deniability,” Williams said. “Everything about their process is built with an opaque protection for the people so you’ll never get to the bottom of this, whose decision this is.”

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Health and Human Services(HHS), Secretary, Tom Price recently received a letter advocating for the Federal Guidelines to allow for hair drug testing to be expedited.  This letter was not the first of its kind, approximately 1 month ago, a similar letter was sent to the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration(FMCSA) by seven Republican members of the House of Representatives.

The Senators signing the most recent letter included:

  • John Thune (R – South Dakota), chairman of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee,
  • John Boozman (R – Arkansas),
  • Joe Manchin (D – West Virginia),
  • Deb Fischer (R – Nebraska) and
  • Ron Johnson (R – Wisconsin).

Hair drug testing has been a topic among drug testing industry professionals for years and has now begun receiving some support all in an effort to ensure public safety on our Nation’s roadways.

Many advocates for this proposed alternative method for Federally Regulated Drug Testing site the FAST ACT, (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act) which was signed into law by the Obama Administration on December 4, 2015

Under this law HHS was compelled to issue scientific and technical guidelines for hair testing by Dec. 4, 2016, and this deadline was not met.

Currently there are several larger trucking companies with the upmost safety in mind utilizing the 5 panel DOT urine drug test to meet federal drug testing requirements, while also incurring the additional cost to conduct hair testing for their applicants/employees.

These companies have the ultimate goal of deterring drug users from entering their ranks, thus positively impacting the quality of their employees and most importantly public safety.

Hair Testing vs Urine Testing

As you may be aware, hair testing provides a greater detection window for drug use vs. urinalysis. Hair tests can screen for drug use up to 90 days, while urine only screens for a window of 3-5 days.

Another advantage for hair testing and/or oral saliva testing would be the fact that the sample is taken under an observed collection which would also deter those individuals inclined to “cheat” a test under the current 5 panel DOT urinalysis method.

There are several carriers already testing drivers via hair sample, but they must also still utilize the urine sample tests to comply with the federal standards. The carriers argue that the tests are costly and repetitive.

Many Speculate that HHS will be finalizing their rule in regards to allowing alternative specimens other than urine in Federally Mandated drug and alcohol testing.  Once HHS has issued their final rule as to the science behind the alternative testing methods, then The Department of Transportation (DOT) will begin their implementation process and rule making procedures.

See below an excerpt of the Fast Act:

SEC. 5402. DRUG-FREE COMMERCIAL DRIVERS.
(B) in subparagraph (A) by striking ‘‘The regulations shall permit such motor carriers to conduct pre-employment testing of such employees for the use of alcohol.’’; and (C) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following: ‘‘(B) The regulations prescribed under subparagraph (A) shall permit motor carriers—
‘‘(i) to conduct pre-employment testing of commercial motor vehicle operators for the use of alcohol; and
‘‘(ii) to use hair testing as an acceptable alternative to urine testing—
‘‘(I) in conducting pre-employment testing for the use of a controlled substance; and
‘‘(II) in conducting random testing for the use of a controlled substance if the operator was subject to hair testing for pre-employment testing.’’

 

For more information please call 800-221-4291 or contact us online.

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As the opioid epidemic continues to make headlines in the United States, there are many other consequential effects from the rise of drug use in recent years. Job loss to American workers seems to be one of them.

Employee Drug Use Increases

Employee drug use has increased in the last three years to its highest level in a decade, according to Quest Diagnostics, which performed more than 10 million employment drug screenings last year.  The increase is due in part to the heroin epidemic and the legalization of recreational marijuana in states such as Colorado.

Some companies are seeing as much as 20% of people failing drug tests, testing positive for anything between marijuana and amphetamines to crystal meth and heroin.

Refugees Filling The Gaps

The big factories throughout the United States are being hit the hardest when it comes to employees failing drug screenings. So, with every person that is fired there is a refugee there to pick up the slack. “They have a problem with the drugs, so like every time they fire someone, they replace him with the refugee, to be honest,” said Bassam Dabbah, who works at a U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants field office in Erie, PA.

It’s interesting to note, that while many refugees are coming from war-torn countries like the Middle East, many have never seen drugs. Although there is a language barrier, refugees eager to work and who are drug free, make for perfect candidates to fill job gaps created by American drug use, especially in blue collar positions.

Because of the increase in positive drug tests, the refugees who have reached American are being welcomed with a warm hiring climate. In places like Louisville, Kentucky where people testing positive for meth in workplace drug tests are 47% higher than the national average, a refugee can typically find work within three days of arriving.

Good Source Of Labor

In places like Erie, Pennsylvania, who have been dealing with rising rates of overdoses, alcohol-related deaths and suicides, employers are finding it harder to look to the native residents to fill job positions. They feel like they have nowhere else to look, so immigrants are a great source of labor.

 

For more information on Drug Testing give us a call at (800)-221-4291 or send us a message at www.accrediteddrugtesting.net/contact-us

To see more information about this article, visit CNN.

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2017 will bring some new drug testing requirements for the Salt Lake City Police Department. The Salt Lake City Police Department will introduce random drug testing for its officers commencing January 2017.

The formal decision was communicated by SLCPD chief Mike Brown when he informed members of the Community Activist Group at their Nov. 2 2016 session. This decision was in direct response to a question as to why cops were not routinely submitting or being required to drug test.

Sgt. Brandon Shearer, a spokesman for the department, said “it’s never a bad idea to police yourself.” Sgt. Shearer anticipates that the random drug testing frequency will be monthly or quarterly and a percentage of the employees of the department would be randomly tested.

“A lot of other agencies do it,” Shearer said. “It’s just something we’ve never done.”

As in most cases a barrier to introducing drug testing has been cost. Estimates associated with implementing drug testing exceed a yearly rate of $100,000. The department has been faced with patrol car fleet in need of several repairs because of the lack of money for new vehicles, therefore drug testing has had to play second fiddle.

Unified Police Department’s spokesperson Lt. Justin Hoyal said his agency has been drug testing its officers since 2010. Officers are tested for illegal narcotics, prescription medication and alcohol. If tested positive, Hoyal said that officers faced “a variety of consequences that could lead to termination.”

A call to the current Salt Lake City Police union president Mike Millard seeking comment was not returned, but SLCPD spokesman Greg Wilking said the union fully supported the move. As long as the tests were random, “I’ll pee wherever you need me too,” he said.

For information regarding the effects of drug abuse – Click Here
For  information on a drug free work place – Click Here
For  information on substance abuse programs – Click Here
For information on DOT Drug / Alcohol Testing requirements – Click Here

John Burgos, CPC
Business Development Manager
https://accrediteddrugtesting.net
(800) 221-4291
Accredited Drug Testing