Drug News You Can Use

Senator says a proposed painkiller would worsen drug crisis

A new “super drug” under federal review would only intensify the painkiller-abuse crisis, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said Sunday.

Schumer urged the Food and Drug Administration “to proceed with great caution” before approving sale of a pure hydrocodone pill _ 10 times stronger than Vicodin. A pharmaceutical company has said it will soon apply to the FDA for approval of such a drug.

“It would instantly become the most sought-after drug by addicts and criminals,” Schumer said at a news conference in Manhattan. “It would make the crisis go from bad to worse.”

In releasing his letter to the FDA, the senator cited an increase in drug-related crimes in the New York area, including last June’s killing of four people at a Medford, N.Y., pharmacy ,and the Dec. 31 fatal shooting of an off-duty federal agent during a Seaford drugstore holdup.

Failing a Drug Test Can Cost You A Job

With retiring baby boomers and a slowly recovering economy, the demand for skilled workers – such as mechanics, pipe fitters and commercial truckers – is on the rise. But companies in Texas are facing a shortage of these skilled laborers. Part of the problem is that workers simply do not have the vocational training to fill these well-paying positions. Another problem is that otherwise acceptable job appli-cants cannot pass mandatory drug tests.

In his address to this year’s annual Texas Workforce Commission conference, TWC Chairman Tom Pauken recounted a story about a Texas job fair at which a company pre-approved more than 100 commercial trucker applicants, but had to turn away more than half for failing federally mandated drug tests.

While the rise of medical marijuana may send a mixed message about drug use, people have to understand that if they are going to work with dangerous machinery, they have to be at the top of their game. Lingering effects of drug use can pose a harm not only to machine operators’ physical safety, but to their employability as well.

Exxon’s Shale Driller Tightens Drug Testing for Rig Workers

Union Drilling Inc. (UDRL), the rig owner hired by Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) to explore U.S. shale rock formations for natural gas, toughened drug testing of rig workers in an attempt to cut down on accidents.

Union is switching to hair-follicle tests from urinalysis to detect drug use, Chief Executive Officer Christopher Strong said at the Pritchard Capital energy conference in San Francisco yesterday. The new protocol already has reduced emergency calls from its drilling sites, he said, according to a transcript of his presentation.

Energy producers exploring shale rock are facing increased scrutiny from environmental regulators, landowners, lawmakers and investors after intensive drilling techniques were linked to water contamination and earthquakes. Drug abuse tends to be more frequent among drilling crews than other oilfield workers, Roger New, vice chairman of the Energy Training Council in Yukon, Oklahoma, said in an interview today

Painkiller 10 Times Stronger Than Vicodin Being Developed

Four American drug companies are developing a new pain killer said to be ten times stronger than the popular prescription painkiller Vicodin, which has many addiction experts concerned.

The pharmaceutical companies have begun testing on pills that contain hydrocodone in its pure form, the first of its kind, CBS News reports. Hydrocodone is in the opiate family along with heroin, methadone, oxycodone, and morphine. If approved, this would be the first time patients could legally buy pure hydrocodone.

“I have a big concern that this could be the next OxyContin,” April Rovero, president of the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse, told CBS. “We just don’t need this on the market.”

OxyContin came on the market in 1995. Manufactured by Purdue Pharma, one of the companies producing this new painkiller. The pill was designed to draw out medication over several hours but addicts were able to circumvent the time-released feature by crushing up the pill. Now, OxyContin has become the most abused prescription medication in the United States; hydrocodone is the second. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, emergency department visits quadrupled between 2000 and 2009 due to hydrocodone abuse.

OVERTAKEN – The Battle of Youth Drug Addiction

Two moms have accomplished their goal of making a short length documentary featuring the struggles of addiction through the lives of young adults. Jodi’s son Jarrod died from an overdose of a prescription drug she had never heard of until the night he died. His peers had heard of it though, and within weeks more young lives were gone and many more kids were left to battle addiction. Realizing that accidental death from overdosing was an epidemic, not just in their suburban community but across the U.S., they decided to make a documentary to show at school assemblies and youth groups. This documentary features the battle of addiction as told by those whose lives were overtaken by drugs. You will understand the struggle these brave young people take on each day to stay alive. The goal of this documentary is to save lives by educating our youth on the truth about addiction and the deadly consequences drugs often have.