Category: Drug Testing News

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Mr. James A. Greer Elected to National Board of Directors

April 12, 2016
(Orlando, FL) Accredited Drug Testing Inc. announced the election of Mr. James A. Greer, to a three-year term as James A Greer a member of the Drug and Alcohol

Testing Association’s national board of directors. Mr. Greer currently
serves as the President/CEO of Accredited Drug Testing Inc. and Health Screenings USA Inc., both companies which provide drug, alcohol and DNA testing nationwide.

Philip Dubois, Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA) Chairman, stated the following, “The Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association welcomes Jim Greer to our board of directors, and looks forward to utilizing his extensive experience both in business and government in achieving DATIA’s goals and objectives. As President of one of the nation’s leading providers in drug testing, Jim understands the issues and challenges our industry faces.” 

Joseph Reilly, past DATIA Chairman and current board member also stated, “As the former Chairman of the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association, and as a current board member, I am pleased that Jim has been elected to our national governing board. Jim’s experience as a successful businessman and elected official, along with his knowledge of the political process on the state and national level will be a great asset to achieving DATIA’s goals.”

Jim stated, “I’m honored to have been elected to the DATIA Board of Directors, and I look forward to working with the DATIA membership and staff in achieving the organization’s common goals.”

Jim Greer currently serves as a member of DATIA’s Legislative and Regulatory Committee and Marijuana Outreach Committee. From 1984 to 2007, Mr. Greer was Chairman/President of Regulatory Compliance Services Inc., a firm providing regulatory training to the nation’s hospitality industry with revenues exceeding $4 million annually. In addition to his professional experience, Mr. Greer has served as a Senior Political Advisor to various political campaigns, and has held elected office on the local, state and national levels. His community service includes; serving as President of his Rotary International Club, a member of the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce and a volunteer with Helpful Hands Inc., a community charity program. Mr. Greer and his wife Lisa, have five children, Hunter, Amber, Austin, Aidan, and Hope.

Mr. Greer has received numerous awards and recognitions for his leadership and business success including: Business Person of the Year, Paul Harris Fellow Rotary International, and Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year. Mr. Greer holds a degree from Seminole State College and is a graduate of the Advanced Institute for Elected Officials. He also holds certification as a professional collector trainer (CPCT).

For additional information, contact:

Andrew Gormally
Marketing/Industry Relations Assistant
Andrew@accredtiteddrugtesting.com
http://accrediteddrugtesting.net/
(800) 221-4291
Accredited Drug Testing Inc

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$600K worth of drugs found during Summit County traffic stop

June 29 2016

AKRON, OHIO – Two men were arrested after troopers seized approximately $600,000 worth of drugs from their vehicle Friday afternoon.

Drug Testing Near MeOhio State Highway Patrol troopers stopped the 2016 Lincoln Navigator, with Michigan plates, for speeding on I-76 near milepost 21.

During the stop, a drug-sniffing canine was alerted to the vehicle.

Troopers seized 6 kilos of heroin and a half pound of cocaine from the vehicle.

Roberto Campas, 28, of Canton, was driving the vehicle. Ernesto Medina, 32, of California, was a passenger in the vehicle. Both were arrested and charged with aggravated trafficking of drugs and possession of heroin and cocaine.

The men could face up to 30 years in prison and up to a $60,000 fine.

There is no shortage of these types of routine traffic stops that end up turning in hundreds of thousands worth of drugs. It is important the roads we all share are safe. DOT Drug testing is just one of the many efforts to ensure driver safety on all US Highways.

In the same state A Small’s Trucking Company driver lost control of this truck east of Horn Road east of Gambier. The eastbound truck, loaded with limestone, ran off the left side of the road and rolled over on an embankment.

Far to many of these accidents can be avoided simply by encouraging a drug free workplace program to your employer. We at Accredited Drug Testing know that a company with a current drug policy can save your business or company by protecting it from liability.

While more commercial motor vehicle drivers tested positive for marijuana in 2015 than any other drug screened in mandated pre-employment and random tests given by motor carriers, the rate of positive tests for amphetamines continues to climb at a rapid rate. That’s according to new numbers reported by the Department of Transportation. In all, 47,782 of the 6.3 million individuals — an estimated 97% of whom are drivers — tested by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-certified labs in 2015 flunked their drug tests for marijuana use last year, compared with 47,524 in 2014, according to DOT’s Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance. That’s a growth of just 0.5%.

 

 

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Accredited Drug Testing Supports Local Community

March 30, 2016

Accredited Drug Testing CentersHelpful Hands, Inc. is a local charity with a mission to enhance the quality of life of children, individuals and families from our community who are in crisis.

Last year, our Fifth Annual Golf Tournament was successful beyond what we dared hope. Keeping to our mission, with the monies raised we initiated many of our programs: ‘Celebration Parties’ honoring milestones for children affected by cancer; sports programs; 4 – H camp; and we also fully-funded the Oviedo Police Department summer camp for at-risk youth in the community.

We also have a fine arts program that offers talented
children identified through the Seminole County Public Schools, the opportunity for piano lessons and a piano by partnering with the Steinway Piano Bank as well as children with a gift for the dramatic an opportunity participate in the Wayne Densch Theater Performing Arts Center camp.

There is more to be done, and this year with your support of our Sixth Annual Golf Tournament we will expand these programs and implement others. Thank you for your support of our community.

” Thank You to Jim Greer and Accredited Drug Testing Inc. our latest Premium Helpful Hands Foursome Sponsor for our 6th Annual Golf Tournament. We appreciate your support of our charitable foundation and all that you do for our community! ” -Helpful Hands, Inc

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Could Decriminalizing All Drugs End the War on Drugs?

March 25, 2016

Decriminalizing

The war on drugs has been faced with a global front, uniting nations from all over the world attempting to destroy the drug dealing networks. “The global war on drugs has harmed public health, human rights and development,” said commissioner Chris Beyrer, an epidemiology professor at Johns Hopkins’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. “It’s time for us to rethink our approach to global drug policies, and put scientific evidence and public health at the heart of drug policy discussions.”

“The goal of prohibiting all use, possession, production and trafficking of illicit drugs is the basis of many of our national drug laws, but these policies are based on ideas about drug use and drug dependence that are not scientifically grounded,” Beyrer said.

Beyrer is one of the authors of a new report published last week that comes ahead of a U.N. summit on the issue in April. The international commission urged governments to decriminalize “minor and nonviolent drug use, possession and petty sale; enactment of policies that reduce violence and discrimination in drug policing.” “Such measures could lead to decreases in drug-related violence worldwide, the authors suggest. They refer to data from Central America and Mexico, where homicides increased following military and police action taken against drug trafficking.

Despite the prominent support for an end of the war on drugs, it is considered unlikely that the upcoming U.N. summit will change much about current policies.

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the entire United States, Accredited Drug Testing Inc. is available to answer all of your drug and alcohol testing questions and needs. For more information contact:

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Belgian Police Use DNA to Find Suspects in Brussels Airport Bombing

March 28, 2016

Police Use DNA Testing

Belgian investigators are currently analysing DNA from the bombing in a Brussels airport to link a connection to the Paris bombings. French authorities say that the DNA found on one of the bombers vests in the Brussels airport was also found on a vest from the Paris attacks, which killed 130 people in November 2015.

There were two blasts at about 8AM on March 22nd ripped through the Belgian city’s main airport. An hour later, an explosion struck the subway station of Maelbeek, in the heart of Brussels. The attacks, claimed by ISIS and believed to have been carried out by five terrorists, killed 31 people and injured more than 300.

“After explosions like these, the first step is to collect all the objects from the blast scene that could be associated with the attack,” David Foran, the Director of the forensic science program at Michigan State University’s School of Criminal Justice says. “In the case of the Brussels attack, these likely included fragments of the explosive devices, screws and nails reportedly used as shrapnel, and the suitcases and luggage carts the suspects are shown pushing through the airport in security footage.”

The second step is to bring all recovered objects to the lab and swab them to collect any traces of DNA that have survived the blast. This is where things get tricky: DNA can be damaged by heat.”DNA will burn, just like any part of your body can burn,” Foran says. “It doesn’t like direct flame.”

“DNA evidence recovered from explosive devices isn’t usually high-quality. It mostly comes from fingerprints left by whoever handled the bombs and the containers, like suitcases and backpacks, where the devices were placed,” Foran says. If investigators are able to zero in on a DNA sample, the last step is to enter it into a database to see whether it matches with existing DNA records.

With DNA evidence found at the Brussels airport, Belgian investigators identified Najim Laachraoui, a 24-year-old Belgian citizen born in Morocco, as one of the suspects. It’s not clear how French and Belgian investigators had a record of his DNA in the first place. But it matched with DNA evidence found not only on suicide vests used in Paris, but also in two houses in Belgium.

With DNA and background testing centers throughout the entire state of Michigan, Accredited Drug Testing Inc. is available to answer all of your DNA and background testing questions and needs. For more information contact:

Andrew Gormally
Marketing/Industry Relations Assistant
Andrew@accredtiteddrugtesting.com
http://accrediteddrugtesting.net/
(800) 221-4291
Accredited Drug Testing Inc

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Drug Overdoses at a Record High

April 3, 2016

Drug Overdose“Overdoses from heroin, prescription drugs, and opioid painkillers have overtaken car accidents to become the leading cause of injury-related deaths in America,” The Economist reports. “In 2014, they were responsible for 28,647 deaths.  Between 2001 and 2014, deaths from heroin overdoses alone increased six-fold, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. On average, 125 people a day die from drug overdoses, 78 of them from heroin or painkillers.

“Heroin use, which used to be concentrated among low-income men in urban areas, now cuts across regions and demographic groups,” The Economist continues. “It is rampant in rural and suburban areas, like West Virginia and New Hampshire, and increasing among women and Americans in higher income brackets. Among adults aged between 18 and 25, heroin use has more than doubled in the last ten years. The problem has come increasingly into public view as police find users unconscious or dead in bathrooms, restaurants, parks, and libraries.”

Heroin is an opioid, that is synthesized from morphine. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2011, 4.2 million Americans (aged 12 or older) had used heroin once in their lives. Prescription opioid pain medications such as OxyContin and Vicodin have similar effects to heroin, and when abused, are common gateways to chronic heroin use. Heroin and similar opioids can be easily detected in a 10 panel drug screening.

In St. Louis, one of America’s most dangerous cities, turf wars among drug dealers responding to an influx of cheap heroin from a Mexican cartel fueled a sharp spike in the murder rate. In a trend mimicked in large cities nationally, many of the heroin consumers in St. Louis are young whites in their 20s, who drive into the city from suburbs and distant rural areas. And while most heroin overdose victims here are white, nearly all of the shooting victims and suspects in St. Louis this year have been African-American men and boys. Due to its potency, many users continue and even increase use of the drug to “chase the same high,” to ease the physical dependency. Chronic users become physically dependent on the drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Police departments are training their staff to use naloxone, the lifesaving antidote for heroin overdoses. Unlike paramedics, the police department will be trained to administer the antidote using a nasal spray. Law enforcement officers are generally the first to respond to emergency calls, and training them to resuscitate a heroin overdose can mean life or death.

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the entire United States, Accredited Drug Testing is there to answer all of your drug and alcohol testing questions and needs.

For more information contact:

Andrew Gormally
Marketing/Industry Relations Assistant
Andrew@accredtiteddrugtesting.com
http://accrediteddrugtesting.net/
(800) 221-4291
Accredited Drug Testing Inc

 

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Atlanta Smugglers Disguising Liquid Meth as Beer

March 7, 2016
According to Georgia authorities, drug smugglers are getting more creative to move illegal drugs from point A to point B The smugglers are Meth Drug Testinghiding large quantities of illegal drugs, such as methamphetamine, in the suspension of tour busses, and disguising it as beer.

The Georgia State Patrol nabbed the two buses packed with illegal drugs and cash to be smuggled back into Mexico. In one of the busses the drugs were packed into suspension bars behind the wheel drums. The other bus had a secret compartment under the center aisle. Officials say over one million dollars worth of methamphetamine and other drugs were found in the bus.  Atlanta authorities have been busy shutting down numerous pipelines that were bringing illegal drugs into this country.

Methamphetamine, also known as meth, crystal meth, crystal, and ice, is an incredibly addictive stimulant closely related to amphetamine. Meth alters the dopamine levels in the mind that gives users a euphoric rush feeling that builds dependency, and easily becomes addictive. Chronic use can lead to substantial brain damage. Meth can be detected in a 5-panel drug screening.

 Most the methamphetamines distributed in the United States are manufactured in labs in Mexico. These “superlabs” are usually linked to the Mexican drug cartels, that are responsible for heinous crimes across North America. Most ingredients made to use meth are inexpensive and can be bought over the counter, making its accessibility incredibly easy.  The levels of toxicity from the production of methamphetamines can remain in the environment for a long time, causing health issues for those around the area.  

Pharmacies and other retail stores are taking action to prevent abuse of the ingredients used to make methamphetamine, by limiting supplies of products known to make meth. Lawmakers are also taking action against distributors with increased prison sentencing ranging from 10 to 30, or even more years of incarceration.

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the Atlanta area, Accredited Drug Testing Inc. is available to answer all of your drug and alcohol testing questions and needs. For more information contact:

Andrew Gormally
Marketing/Industry Relations Assistant
Andrew@accredtiteddrugtesting.com
http://accrediteddrugtesting.net/
(800) 221-4291
Accredited Drug Testing Inc
Health Screening USA Inc

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San Jose Drug and Alcohol Testing Negative for Greyhound Bus Crash

March 5, 2016
An investigation in the Greyhound rollover bush crash in San Jose that San Jose Drug and Alcohol Testingkilled two people revealed that no drugs or alcohol were found in his system and that mechanical failure did not cause the crash.

According to investigators there were no mechanical defects identified in the initial inspection of the bus. The 58-year-old driver tested negative for illicit drugs and alcohol in the preliminary toxicology test.

According to the Federal Transit Administration regulations, after a fatal accident, each surviving employee operating the mass transit vehicle at the time of the accident must be tested. Also, any other covered employee whose performance could have contributed to the accident must be tested.

The Department of Transportation regulated post accident toxicology test consists of a five panel urinalysis screening and a breath alcohol test. The Department of Transportation has very strict guidelines for employees in a safety sensitive position. A safety sensitive position is any operators of revenue service vehicles, CDL-holding operators of non revenue service vehicles, vehicle controllers, revenue service vehicle mechanics, and firearm-carrying security personnel.  

Drivers regulated under the Department of Transportation are also required to members of a consortium. The consortium pulls random names four times a quarter, and if selected the employee must immediately take a drug and alcohol screening.  

Although officials are still investigating the crash, they did report that the weather conditions were dark, with light to heavy rain, and11-23 mph winds. A passenger also told officials that the driver also reportedly stopped the bus because he was feeling tired. The bus rammed into an area that separated the high occupancy lane from the through lanes.

The bus then collided with impact barrels in stationed in front of the concrete barrier. According to the report the bus then rode up on the concrete barrier, rotated counterclockwise, and rolled. Officials are still investigating and analysing the busses cameras to find the cause of the crash.

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the San Francisco area, Accredited Drug Testing Inc. is available to answer all of your drug and alcohol testing questions and needs. For more information contact:

Andrew Gormally
Marketing/Industry Relations Assistant
Andrew@accredtiteddrugtesting.com
http://accrediteddrugtesting.net/
(800) 221-4291
Accredited Drug Testing Inc
Health Screening USA Inc

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Oak Lawn Man Arrested After Selling Ecstasy Drug Over SnapChat

March 9, 2016
An Oak Lawn man was arrested after arranging to sell 1,000 Ecstasy pills to an undercover police officer. An Illinois State Policy officer contacted Oak Lawn Ecstasy Drug Testingthe suspect through the social media platform Snapchat and agreed to buy 1,000 pills of the party drug.

Ecstasy, or Molly/MDMA, is a psychoactive synthetic drug that alters mood and perception.The suspect agreed to sell the drugs for $5.55 a pill. When the suspect was arrested, officials also found a loaded handgun with a bullet in the chamber. The gun was reported stolen in the burglary of a Crestwood home. The suspect was charged with armed violence, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance.

Ecstasy can affect the body’s ability to regulate spikes in the body temperature, that can occasionally result in liver, kidney, or heart failure, and possibly death. Many users will take a combination of Ecstasy with other drugs and or alcohol not knowing the possible dangers.

It is not uncommon for dealers to have large quantities of Ecstasy, for the sole purpose of distributing to the masses. A popular venue for the distribution are at concerts or multi-day music festivals. Chicago is host to Lollapalooza, a three day long music festival.

Most venues are equipped with on hand medical staff to assist with emergencies, but many festival goers camp onsite, and are subject to being left unattended. Another major issue that arises are the sheer mass of crowds that attend these festivals. On site medical staff are only equipped to handle a few cases of medical emergencies, and with the ease of Ecstasy’s mass distribution some overdose cases may be overlooked, resulting in death.

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the Oak Lawn area, Accredited Drug Testing Inc. is available to answer all of your drug and alcohol testing questions and needs. For more information contact:

Andrew Gormally
Marketing/Industry Relations Assistant
Andrew@accredtiteddrugtesting.com
http://accrediteddrugtesting.net/
(800) 221-4291
Accredited Drug Testing Inc
Health Screening USA Inc

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Police Officers in the Boca Raton Area to be Required to Carry Heroin Antidote

February 27, 2016
Earlier this month, the Delray Beach Police Department announced Heroin Drug Testingofficers would carry the lifesaving heroin overdose antidote. Thirty-two shift supervisors can now check out kits naloxone, which is used to save the lives of heroin users that overdose.

Police departments across the country have seen a spike in heroin overdoses as of late, and in some areas receiving almost ten calls a day. Delray Beach Police Chief Jeff Goldman, has called the recent spike a heroin epidemic. The city has already seen ten suspected heroin overdose deaths.

Heroin is an opioid, that is synthesized from morphine. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2011, 4.2 million Americans (aged 12 or older) had used heroin once in their lives. Prescription opioid pain medications such as Oxycontin and Vicodin have similar effects to heroin, and when abused, are common gateways to chronic heroin use. Heroin and similar opioids can be easily detected in a 10 panel drug screening.

Many young people who have previously used heroin, reported abusing prescription opioids before turning to the incredibly addicting drug. Others say they took up heroin because it was cheaper and more easily accessible than prescription drugs.

Due to its potency, many users continue and even increase use of the drug to “chase the same high,” to ease the physical dependency. Chronic users become physically dependent on the drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Delray Beach Fire Rescue has trained it staff to use naloxone for years, and have already administered the antidote seventy-seven times this year. Unlike paramedics, the police department will be trained to administer the antidote using a nasal spray. Law enforcement officers are generally the first to respond to emergency calls, and training them to resuscitate a heroin overdose can mean life or death. Accredited Drug Testing can easily schedule a drug test that detects the use of heroin and similar opioids, potentially saving someone you know and love.

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the Boca Raton area, Accredited Drug Testing is there to answer all of your drug and alcohol testing questions and needs. For more information contact:

Andrew Gormally
Marketing/Industry Relations Assistant
Andrew@accredtiteddrugtesting.com
http://accrediteddrugtesting.net/
(800) 221-4291
Accredited Drug Testing Inc
Health Screening USA Inc