admin WASHINGTON -It’s an epidemic that’s getting kids hooked and the consequences could be lethal. The number of teens using and abusing prescription drugs has exploded. They are passing out pills at parties and sharing with friends. Experts say the cocktail of drugs and alcohol is a deadly game. Two-thirds of teens who abuse prescription drugs … Read more
The percentage of truck drivers testing positive on random drug tests during 2011 dropped to the lowest level since mandatory testing began almost two decades ago. The positive rate was 0.9% for the 492,000 drivers in the 2011 sample, DOT said. The 2011 total was lower than the 1% of 455,000 drivers who tested positive … Read more
Don’t roll those joints just yet, truckers and pilots. Pot-smokers rejoiced on Election Day when Colorado and Washington state residents voted to legalize recreational marijuana use and let individuals 21 or older have up to an ounce of pot without repercussion. But the Department of Transportation isn’t smoking that peace pipe. DOT’s Office of Drug … Read more
The long-haired Grateful Dead used to sing about “Truckin’” on “reds, vitamin C and cocaine.” Now, some lawmakers see hair as the best way to test truckers for drug use. That’s just the latest front in a broader federal crackdown on drugged driving. This summer, Congress required the Department of Transportation to create a database … Read more
St. Mary’s High School has adopted a drug testing policy that will begin with voluntary testing in March but be mandatory for all students in the 2013-14 school year, the school announced Wednesday. The legalization of marijuana in Colorado, which detractors say will be easier for kids to obtain, was one reason the school’s executive … Read more
GREAT FALLS- A national survey of drug use and health shows that Montana ranks among the top ten states for illicit drug and alcohol use. Psychiatric nurse practitioner Shelley Andous helps clients experiencing an acute psychiatric crisis, often related to addiction. “Substances hit a particular part of our brain. It hits that pleasure center…it’s what … Read more
Roughly half the workforce in the oil and gas industry is expected to retire within the next ten years. As many companies approach what’s being called “the Great Crew Change,” one of the biggest challenges is finding workers who are drug-free. The oil and gas industry is one of the few in the U.S. experiencing … Read more
Irvington police officer Detective Kevin Johnson has been a member of the Greenburgh Drug and Alcohol Task Force since 2006. Since that time, he has charged more teens and young adults not only for possession of marijuana and alcohol but also for un-prescribed pills like Benzodiazepines—anti-anxiety medication—pain killers and sleep aids, such as Ambien. “It’s … Read more
Teens are much more likely to try alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs for the first time during the summer months, according to a new survey. Researchers found first-time use of these substances, as well as marijuana and hallucinogens, peaks during June and July, with thousands of youths trying them each day compared to other months. … Read more
World’s largest hair analysis drug testing company establishes another first: FDA approval of immunoassays that are equivalent to radioimmunoassays. ACTON, Mass., June 12, 2012,/PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Psychemedics Corporation, hair testing pioneer and global leader for twenty-five years, announced that after a rigorous and thorough review, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the company … Read more