Category: Drug Testing News

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Authorities In Dallas Texas Seize Hundreds of Pounds of Methamphetamine and Cocaine

March 4, 2016
Authorities in the Dallas-Fort Worth Texas area have been busy recently, taking more than 50 people into custody on methamphetamine Drug testing centers Dallasdistribution conspiracy charges. Several members of the methamphetamine drug ring were sentenced in December after being arrested for their crimes that date back to 2013.

A surgence of methamphetamine plagued the Dallas-fort Worth area dating back to 2013. Methamphetamine has become a real problem in the area because of its proximity to Mexico. Federal authorities are still apprehending suspects to try and keep the illegal drugs off the streets.

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 easily 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.

Due to Dallas-Fort Worth’s proximity to Mexico, authorities have seen an increased amount of methamphetamine related issues.  

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth 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

Related Article: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/12/08/methamphetamine-distribution-conspirators-from-dfw-sentenced/

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DOT Drug Testing

FMCSA to lower random testing rate for controlled substances

FMCSA conducts a random survey to ensure compliance with the set testing rates, known as the Management Information System (MIS) or MIS survey.

The Trucker News Services

WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Monday announced that it will lower the random testing rate for controlled substances from the current 50 percent to 25 percent for the upcoming calendar year, effective January 1, 2016.

FMCSA conducts a random survey to ensure compliance with the set testing rates, known as the Management Information System (MIS) or MIS survey.

According to federal regulations, when the data received in the MIS for two consecutive calendar years indicate that the positive rate for controlled substances is less than one percent, the FMCSA administrator has the discretion to lower the minimum annual testing rate.
While the MIS survey resulted in a positive rate of less than one percent for the 2011 and 2012 testing years, the acting administrator chose to maintain the 50 percent rate for another year. The 2013 testing year also showed a positive rate of less than one percent, so after three years, the acting administrator approved a lower testing rate. If at any time the positive rate for controlled substances exceeds one percent, the testing rate will revert back to 50 percent.

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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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Having Problems Quitting Smoking? Heavy Drinking May Be The Reason.

5/4/16

Quitting Smoking

A small study of Polish men revealed that people that are alcohol dependent process nicotine in their bodies quickly, making it harder for them to quit.

In 2011 and 2012, the researchers studied 22 white male smokers at an inpatient alcohol addiction treatment center in Poland. They analyzed participants’ urine samples to gauge nicotine levels and metabolism at one, four and seven weeks after detoxing from alcohol.

“We didn’t measure what was happening when people were drinking, but after they stopped, their elevated rate of nicotine metabolism slowly subsided,” said lead author Noah R. Gubner of the Center for tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco.

“When nicotine metabolism is higher, people tend to have a harder time quitting smoking,” Gubner stated. The speed of nicotine processing declined by about half over the seven-week period, even though the men did not change how many cigarettes they were smoking per day.

The results might be useful for helping recovering alcoholics quit smoking, they add. More research is needed to know if nicotine replacement therapy is more effective after people stop heavy drinking, however. The researchers write in Drug and Alcohol Dependence that heavy alcohol use may trigger the enzyme in the body primarily responsible for metabolizing nicotine. And faster nicotine processing could explain the poor rates of quitting smoking among people who are alcohol dependent.
 Quitting alcohol and quitting smoking are complicated undertakings, and nicotine and alcohol could have some synergistic effects on reward and pleasure, Gubner said. Also, heavy drinking can affect decision-making, including the decision to smoke less or not at all.
With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the entire state of United States, 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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Teen Dies of Overdose of New Type of Ecstasy Called MasterCard

5/10/16

Ecstasy Called MasterCardAn English teen died after taking a type of ecstasy, called “MasterCard,” according to police officials, who issued a dire warning Monday to anyone considering popping the deadly pills.

The young woman, whose name and age were not immediately released, was found on the brink of death at 5 a.m. Monday morning after partying at a Manchester nightclub called Don’t Let Daddy Know, Metro reported. She later died at a local hospital.

Police she ingested the pill, which is pink and has a circular shape similar to the credit card company’s logo.

“Sadly, we know it is very unlikely that the girl was the only person to have taken this drug last night,” Greater Manchester Police Detective Helen Bell said.

Ecstasy is a popular party drug that gives users a euphoric-like high that can distort time and cause heightened sexual experiences. People who use Ecstasy usually take it as a capsule or tablet, though some swallow it in liquid form or snort the powder.

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.

“We are appealing to anyone who may have taken this form of ecstasy, known as ‘MasterCard’ to get checked out urgently,” Bell added. “Even if you took it some hours ago, this pill will still be in your system and could be seriously harming your health.”

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:

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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FedEX Driver Who Hit California Highway Patrol Officer Arrested for DUI

5/13/16

FedEX Driver Hit Officer Arrested for DUIA FedEx truck driver who struck and seriously injured a California Highway Patrol officer in Sacramento has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Gregory Anthony Ramirez, 41, of San Lorenzo was arrested and charged with driving under the influence at the time of the collision, the CHP said. Ramirez was booked into the Sacramento County Jail for felony driving under the influence, causing injury and possession of a controlled substance. His bail is set at $50,000.

The CHP said Officer Vincent Smith, an 18-year veteran of the agency, remained hospitalized. The officer was trying to move two vehicles off the eastbound lanes of the highway near 15th Street after they had collided just after 3 a.m., the CHP said.

The rear of the officer’s patrol vehicle was mangled by the impact from the FedEx truck, but the officer was on foot when he was hit, according to CHP. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the FedEx truck struck the officer directly or whether it struck only his patrol vehicle, causing it to hit the officer.

It’s the second major Sacramento crash involving a FedEx big rig in several months. In December, the driver of a FedEx tractor-trailer on southbound Interstate 5 lost control in rainy weather and the truck jumped the center divider, striking a northbound vehicle and killing its driver.

“FedEx Ground is committed to safety as our top priority and we hold anyone providing service on our behalf contractually responsible for operating safely and complying with the law. We are fully cooperating with investigating authorities and will take the appropriate action to address this matter,” FedEx spokesperson Davis Westrick said in a statement.

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the entire state of California, 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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Synthetic Marijuana Blamed for Man’s Death

May 16, 2016

Synthetic Marijuana

Some 8,000 Spice poisonings were reported in the US last year, which the Guardian calls “one of the drug’s most damaging years since its introduction to the United States almost a decade ago.” In one suspected case, a Mississippi man died after taking a single toke.

Indeed, potency is hard to predict and “the risk of overdosing is high,” reports the Las Cruces Sun-News, which explains that because Spice is typically sold (at gas stations, for instance) as “herbal incense” that is labeled as not for consumption, it’s out of the purview of the FDA and USDA.

Spice is a mix of herbs (shredded plant material) and manmade chemicals with mind-altering effects. It is often called “synthetic marijuana” or “fake weed” because some of the chemicals in it are similar to ones in marijuana; but its effects are sometimes very different from marijuana, and frequently much stronger.

Of the almost 8,000 poisonings from synthetic cannabinoids reported last year, New York claimed 1,729, while Mississippi reported 1,362 with 17 suspected deaths. Overdose symptoms include kidney failure, stroke, irregular heartbeat, violent outbursts, and paranoia, and the Guardian notes that the screening limitations mean confirmed cases typically occur only when epidemiologists get involved.

Because the chemicals used in Spice have a high potential for abuse and no medical benefit, the Drug Enforcement Administration has made many of the active chemicals most frequently found in Spice illegal. However, the people who make these products try to avoid these laws by using different chemicals in their mixtures.

Spice is a new drug and research is only just beginning to measure how it affects the brain. What is known is that the chemicals found in Spice attach to the same nerve cell receptors as THC, the main mind-altering ingredient in marijuana. Some of the chemicals in Spice, however, attach to those receptors more strongly than THC, which could lead to a much stronger and more unpredictable effect.

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:

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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Marijuana and Heroin Equally as Dangerous

May 23 2016

Marijuana and Heroin Equally as Dangerous

The US Drug Enforcement Administration released a letter to lawmakers in April, stating they would review marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I drug. Schedule I drugs a considered those with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. They are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.

Schedule I drugs include: heroin, LSD, Ecstasy, Methaqualone, peyote and marijuana. Marijuana was classified as Schedule I in the early 1970s, shortly after the passage of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (CSA).

The CSA established the scheduling system, which places legal and illegal drugs within five categories based on their potential for abuse. Schedule V is the least dangerous, and Schedule I is the most dangerous.

Currently, marijuana falls under the most dangerous category, the same as heroin, one of the most addictive and dangerous illegal substances on the planet. While alcohol and tobacco, the two most used substances in the United States, are not even classified.

The five groups were determined during the approval process of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970. The scheduling of most drugs was determined by Congress during the debate over the bill and was supposedly chosen according to the scientific and medical evidence at the time.

One of the primary reasons that the DEA has rejected rescheduling marijuana is because of a lack of evidence of its medicinal value.

Incidentally, however, one factor of why there isn’t enough evidence is that the DEA restricts how much marijuana can go toward research, because of its Schedule I status. Any prospective study must be approved by the HHS, the US Food and Drug Administration, and the DEA, a review process that has existed since only the late 1990s.

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:

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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Benefits of a Florida Drug Free Workplace

Overview

In 1990 the Florida Legislature enacted a State law titled “Florida Drug-Free Workplace” F.S 112.0455. This law provided specific requirements which an employer must comply with in order to be certified as a Florida Drug Free Workplace. The benefits of the Florida Drug Free Workplace Act are available for employers who are “certified” as a Florida Drug-Free Workplace. The State of Florida through this law encourages employers to drug test employees and promotes a safe  Drug-Free Workplace environment.

How To Become A Florida Drug-Free Workplace?

Accredited Drug Testing Inc provides full compliance with Florida’s Drug-Free Workplace Act and all components necessary for an employer to be certified as a Florida Drug Free Workplace. Any business regardless of size, who wishes to be certified must implement and maintain all requirements of the Florida Drug Free Workplace law.

In addition to providing all of the services needed to comply as a Florida Drug Free Workplace, Accredited Drug Testing Inc has drug testing centers in all Florida cities.

To find a Florida drug testing center – Click Here

The State of Florida encourages all businesses regardless of size to be a Florida Drug Free Workplace and compliance with all requirements can provide many benefits for a Florida employer.

What are the benefits in becoming a Florida Drug Free workplace?

Benefits of a Florida Drug Free Workplace include 

·         Reduction in employee absenteeism ·         Reduction of employee theft
·         Improved employee morale ·         Dedicated employees
·         Enhance customer service ·         Reduction in health care cost
·         Reduction in work related accidents ·         Workers compensation discount

Additional Benefits For The Employer 

When an employee has a positive test result which violates the employers Drug Free Workplace Policy, the State of Florida provides the employer a defense in a Workers Compensation or unemployment claim.

Florida Statute 440.102 provides that medical and indemnity benefits are forfeited, and an employee may be discharged for testing positive for alcohol or a prohibited drug, or refuses to test, provided the employer has a program in compliance with the Workers’ Compensation Premium Reduction Act.

Furthermore, benefits are denied if the injury was caused primarily by employee’s intoxication or use of drugs not prescribed by a physician. If the employer does not have a certified program, an injured employee’s positive test or refusal to test creates a rebuttable presumption that the injury was caused primarily by the impairment, unless the employer has actual knowledge of and acquiesced while the employee was under the influence. Fla. Stat. §440.09(Supp. 2006).

In other words, if drugs are found in the employee’s system, that employee may not be entitled to workers compensation benefits under Florida Law.

Can the Florida Drug Free Workplace Program Save Money $$$

Florida companies that qualify as a Florida Drug Free Workplace can receive a 5% discount on their workers’ compensation insurance policy if the employer has properly implemented and continuously maintains all of the regulatory requirements of the Florida Drug Free Workplace Program.

 Florida Drug Free Workplace requirements include 

  • A written drug and alcohol policy (distributed and acknowledged by all employees)
  • 60-day testing commencement notification to employees
  • Supervisor training (reasonable suspicion)
  • Employee drug and alcohol testing program
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Drug testing must be conducted by a certified laboratory
  • Drug test results must be verified by a Medical Review Officer
  • Completion of a Florida Drug Free Workplace application  (workers compensation credit)

To Review The Florida Drug Free Workplace Law – Click Here

The Florida Drug Free Workplace statute requires an employer to conduct pre-employment, reasonable suspicion and post-accident drug testing, random drug testing is optional.

Employers who do conduct random drug and alcohol testing must ensure that the company’s drug and alcohol policy state that random drug testing will be conducted. Random drug testing selection must be conducted in an impartial manner utilizing a random selection program which is administered by a computer program or other neutral process.

For more information on becoming certified as a Florida Drug Free Workplace call us today 800-221-4291 or send us a message

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Kratom, or  Mitragyna speciosa, is a tree native to southeast Asia which has leaves that can be manufactured into a high-producing drug when ingested. Sold over the counter, Kratom has been abused all over America, with calls to the U.S Poison Control Center associated with Kratom spiking rapidly between 2010-2015. Kratom is commonly marketed as treatment for Addiction, Anxiety, and Depression. At head shops, gas stations, and other general retail businesses, Kratom is sold in the form of raw leaf, powder, gum, capsules, tablets, and as a concentrated extract.

Effects of Kratom:

  • Increased energy and alertness.
  • Decreased appetite.
  • Increased sociability.
  • Heightened libido.
  • Analgesia (pain reduction).
  • Drowsiness.
  • Calm, dreamlike mental state.
  • Cough suppression.
  • Reduction in symptoms of opioid withdrawal.

Signs of Kratom use:

  • Pupillary constriction (tiny pupils).
  • Facial flushing (blushing).
  • Tremors or loss of motor coordination.
  • Constipation.
  • Sweating.
  • Dizziness.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Itching.

Common Uses/Misuses of Kratom

Kratom is used as a painkiller, antipyretic (fever reducer), anti-inflammatory, antitussive (cough suppressant), antihypertensive (to lower blood pressure), as a local anesthetic, to lower blood sugar, and as an antidiarrheal. There are no studies linked to the effectiveness of these uses.

Image result for kratom imagesKratom is also illicitly abused, in a fashion similar to prescription pain-killers, touting opiate-mimicking effects. Although Kratom is used by all age groups, there has been a recent increase in use among young adults.

FDA Warnings

The FDA released a statement in 2017 warning against Kratom use.  The conditions that are being treated with Kratom should be treated by licensed professionals. There is also high potential for abuse, as Kratom produces effects similar to Opiates and Stimulants.

Testing for Kratom

Standard drug tests cannot detect  7-Hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine, the main psychoactive components of Kratom. The only way Kratom can be detected is through laboratory testing. It is estimated that Kratom can be tested for up to 5 days after ingestion.

For information on Kratom testing, or to order a Kratom Drug Test, Visit Accrediteddrugtesting.com, or call 800-221-4291