Common Patterns of Continued Drug Use

Urine Drug Test

Though each person who uses drugs and alcohol will exhibit a unique set of symptoms, common patterns of behaviour and drug use have been identified. Ranging from no substance use to dependency, each person fits somewhere on a continuum of behaviours and effects. People moving from left to right on the continuum reach points along the way where their behaviours and emotional states indicate that a new level of drug or alcohol (or both) influence on the body and mind has been reached. However, a worker may progress slowly and experience each stage or progress so rapidly that early stages are skipped. For example, a drug abuser may go from no drug use to using drugs on a regular basis and skip the stage where drugs are only used socially. The key point for employers is that random drug and alcohol tests can interrupt a pattern at any point, leading to the worker getting professional help.

There are points used to measure the status of someone’s substance use. The first point is called “no use.” People who do not use drugs are making a choice to not do so. The reason may have something to do with personal values or previous use of drugs. At the experimental stage, someone tries using drugs mostly out of curiosity or because of peer pressure. Though teenagers come to mind first, there are thousands of adults who use drugs the first time at office parties or during work lunch breaks. Situational use is when drugs are used as a coping mechanism. Recreational substance use refers to using substances just for enjoyment or to enhance socialising. For example, people use drugs in difficult circumstances like working as a miner or construction worker in a remote location. At this point on the continuum there is low tolerance for substances.¹

Continuing Down the Wrong Path

At the next stage, drugs and alcohol are misused, even though the person can still control their behaviours and can choose to not use substances unless the circumstances are right or doing so. However, a pattern of use is emerging and the worker may begin to drink every day at the pub after work or use illicit drugs every weekend. Bingeing may start. At this stage, the person may begin coming in late every Monday or begin showing up for work with a hangover or unprepared. Because there is still awareness of how the substance misuse is impacting life activities, it is possible the person will impose rules like limiting the number of drinks at the pub or only using drugs on Friday and Saturday nights. Tolerance for the substances is increasing.

Continuing along the continuum, the misuse of substances becomes compulsive behaviour or dependent use. More of the drugs or alcohol is used more regularly and control is mostly lost. The worker will begin to rationalise the drug use, develop a high tolerance for the substances, and begin to experience major life problems like financial or relationship problems. Employees testing positive on a drug test or failing a breath test after blowing into equipment like the Lion SD 500 will attempt to rationalise the results to the employer by saying things like, “The job stress was making it difficult to meet your deadlines, and I needed more energy if you wanted the job done right.” Employers who begin finding drug paraphernalia like needles, or supplies converted to another use, may be seeing the signs of a compulsive user. There may even be some drugs or alcohol hidden on the premises.

The last stage is dependency in which the drugs or alcohol take over a person’s life. There are no longer patterns of use because the person has lost control and is working to stay “high.” There have been physical and psychological changes induced by the chemicals. There is psychological pain emanating from feelings of hopelessness and loss of control. Tolerance for the substances is high, and the person is usually thinking about how to maintain a supply. Relationships of any kind become very difficult, unless they are with other chemical dependents.

At this stage, a worker needs the drugs or alcohol to feel normal because normal has been redefined. Addicts are so focused on their habits and so physically, emotionally and mentally devastated that they make mistakes like getting careless about hiding their addiction and begin to avoid people. Co-workers are probably whispering about the “change” in a once-friendly employee or how so-and-so was popping pills in the bathroom. Usually, addicts are identified long before this stage in workplaces with drug and alcohol testing programs.

Do No Harm

Australia’s adoption of a harm minimisation approach to drug and alcohol abuse is based on the principles of reducing personal harms and achieving reductions in demand and supply of substances. To implement such a broad strategy, intervention types have been identified as necessary to achieve success. In addressing alcohol abuse harms, the expected interventions are found, like primary health care settings, alcohol problem treatment, and mandatory treatment of repeat drunk drivers. However, also on the list are workplace interventions and mutual/self-help attendance at counselling programs. The substance abuse harm reduction interventions include a set of policies, programs and practices designed to reduce harms associated with addiction, like education of drug harms and early intervention to prevent further substance abuse through counselling and diversion services and treatment programs.²

Employers play an important role in the national effort by implementing random drug and alcohol testing programs. The reality is that the work of harm minimisation cannot start until substance abusers and addicts are identified. Since 80 percent of drug and alcohol users are employed, the task of identification can begin in the workplace. The sooner there is identification of a worker using drugs or alcohol in the workplace, the sooner the worker can reverse the path along the continuum.

It is tempting to consider the individual workplace drug and alcohol policy and testing program as operating in a kind of vacuum. However, each employer program is a component of a larger national system working to reduce the terrible toll that alcoholism and drug addiction take on individuals and society in general. The ultimate purpose of alcohol and drug testing is to help people deal with their substance issues, whilst preserving the health and safety of the employee and co-workers. When a worker tests positive for drugs and alcohol, the employer is then in the ideal position to inform the person of the availability of professional help, like counselling or treatment programs or EAPs.

CMM Technology (cmm.com.au) offers a variety of high quality drug and alcohol test supplies and a wide choice of testing equipment. Implementing a testing program is not enough. It is critically important for substance testing to produce accurate results at all times to preserve program integrity.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/common-patterns-of-continued-drug-use/

There Are People Present

Urine Drug Test

In aboriginal tribes, or in man-hunting-man situations, natives and other land-familiar people find that there are plenty of signs in nature to indicate if there are people present. If a bird suddenly takes flight, then there is usually a human present. If a flock quickly rises from a lake or river where it had previously been contentedly resting, then there are people present. Other signs, including footprints, smells, smoke, broken bushes and tree branches, and matted ground or pine needles, indicate human presence, as well.

The truth is that, if you find more than two people in your business who are abusing substances, and they happen to be in the same department and you are fairly certain that they know each other, then the chances that one of them is distributing illicit substances to the other are pretty high.

For example, you might find that more than one person at a time usually test positive for alcohol abuse while at work. Chances are they share alcohol together during their break. If two or more employees test positive for the same type of drug, then either one of them is likely supplying the others, or they are all getting their drugs from the same person, perhaps near their workplace. If you are able to tell where the signs are and what the signs mean, you can stop the problem from spreading in the present, and keep it from reoccurring in the future.

Of course, if someone who was previously never high or drunk suddenly shows up to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol, their coworkers will probably gossip about it. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. There are people present on these hunting grounds.

Make sure that you are ready for these signs. Have quality alcohol test and drug test kits available in your business, and make sure they come from a reliable source, like CMM Technology. Be ready for anything which might occur. If your employees are fit for duty, then they will do will during their employee drug testing. But, if they are not, then you are looking at what may end up being a repeat offense. To order drug testing equipment.

This article has been taken from: http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/there-are-people-present/

Taking On A Challenge

Saliva Drug Test

When we look at our newsfeeds on Facebook, we may get a lot of “Challenge yourself to rise above the storm, challenge yourself to work harder at this particular subject, or take life as a challenge, not a defeat.” Well, that’s all very well and good, but what happens when you just really feel like being defeated by the challenges in your own life?

I mean, sometimes it is a lot easier to just give up. When do you give up and when do you decide to “challenge yourself”?

That’s a good question.

Taking on a challenge should be a little scary, a little exhilarating, but not completely emotionally overwhelming. It should never take the very last little bit of strength you have left, unless you literally have no other good options available. Challenges should be just that: challenges. They should never be continuous, highly stress inducing events which never seem to stop and which do not allow you to take a break or a breather from the insanity.

Sometimes, people feel that this middle ground, or perceived middle ground, is too gray and lacking in strength. However, it is far better to take little baby steps over and over again, than it is to take leaps and bounds followed by long breaks where you lose your nerve or your confidence and have to start over from the beginning again.

Drug test equipment should not be part of an ultra complicated structure and confusing technology which never lets you figure it out. No, all of your business’ drug test kits and personal breathalyser devices should be efficient, effective, and accurate…but not impossible to use. In fact, CMM Technology specializes in drug testing in Western Australia, because we take great care in choosing the drug test equipment which we will sell to businesses like yours on a regular basis. We want you to have good options, not something which takes challenge to a whole new definition of difficulty.

Instead of wading through your own sweat and tears, order your drug test equipment from CMM Technology. We will take good care of you.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/taking-on-a-challenge/

Take Off Against the Wind

Urine Drug Test

It’s pretty interesting that it was Henry Ford who said, “If everything seems to be going against you, remember that airplanes take off against the wind, not with it.” Now, in order to properly have this kind of mindset, you shouldn’t have the mental attitude that everything is set against you and that the whole world rains down trouble on you every time you are about to get a good foothold.

That’s just self sabotaging, and furthermore it brings down the morale of everyone around you.

The way to truly grab hold of this “take off against the wind” mindset is to see each new challenge as something which will not continue forever, but which will go away in a timely manner if it is addressed right away.

Yes, you may also have fear or disappointment, but concentrating on the task at hand or focusing on the details of your project will help you to stay focused on your own productivity, not on your lack of fulfillment or reassurance in some manner.

When you look over the results from the drug test equipment you have purchased from CMM Technology, you will enjoy the amount of information which is now available to you. You know who is following company policy regarding drug or alcohol abuse in the workplace. You know who has repeat offenses in this area. You may even know a little bit about their background, and will therefore be able to ascertain if their abuse is likely to continue for very much longer, and if maybe they need a rest or break from work, rather than to be dismissed.

All of these matters will be in your mind while you look over the results from our Lifeloc FC10 breathalyser device, or our Rapid STAT saliva drug test, or any of our other equipment. You will be able to make a better plan to take off against the wind, to rise above seemingly negative circumstances, and to become stronger as a person yourself, while working hard to make sure that your business rises above the wind, rather than being sent into a tailspin.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/take-off-against-the-wind/

Never Ending Strides

Alcohol Test

Some companies seem to take never ending strides toward success, without stopping or pausing to take a breath. If your competition is one of these businesses then this can annoy the heck out of you. What do you do? Understand that a great company has infinitely detailed quality control behind its success, and part of this quality control is due to effective employee drug testing. For that, you need a reliable and successful set of drug test equipment which can bring you accurate results which help you be a bigger and better leader in the future. Employee drug test results are meant to help you make informed decisions, and that’s why you need drug test equipment from CMM Technology. Our Medix integrated pro-split cup 6+6 is one of the best products on the market today, because it has an adulterant test built right in. It’s fast, easy and very reliable.

What about the strides that your competition is making in hiring great employees? Screening tests can help with this, too. Good employees can have their pick of good companies to work at, but they will tend to go where they feel safest and the most in control of their own jobs. This is where employee drug testing is enforced and done on a regular basis. This is all resting on the dependency of your screening tests! Of course, you should get yours from CMM Technology. That is only natural. You want fast, easy to understand, drug test results, and you want them from equipment which is accurate. Well, we have good products on our website and we invite you to check them out and pick out what is good for your business. Those never ending strides your competition is making are nothing compared to what you can do when your business protects its assets and its employee through the simple art of drug testing on a regular basis. It really is as simple as that. When you have accurate data to look at, then you can evaluate your workers more effectively and understand if there should be any corrections or changes made to their employment status.

 This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/never-ending-strides/

Inspiration for Your Days Off

Urine Drug Test

Your work may be your life. If you go home from work and lose your incentive or motivation, it may mean that you feel your most productive and are able to achieve your best flow when you are at work. While this is a great experience to have (especially if you’re making money at it) you must find ways of bring that productive enthusiasm to your home life, as well.

First, it’s okay to bring your working mindset home with you. If you are able to view your house and your family through your professional eyes, then you can mentally organize everything and everyone so that it is just as cohesive (or almost as much) as your work life.

Secondly, it’s okay to be lazy if you work really long hours and hardly ever get a day off. While you may temporarily feel guilty while your family and friends are getting things done around you, you should realize that this is your down time, and so it’s okay to do nothing in the middle of all of their activity. Give yourself that time and relaxation period. It is not as if anyone will make sure that you have enough.

Lastly, don’t forget to spend some time, by yourself, alone. This is part of being in your zone and in your happy place, and there is no other way that you can really feed yourself and pamper yourself or tend to your own needs if you cannot get by yourself for a few hours, at the very least.

CMM Technology is the in the business of drug testing in Western Australia. Our drug test equipment, such as our Medix integrated pro-split cup 6+6, is part of drug testing line, and we provide alcohol tests and personal breathalyser recalibration services, as well. Our recalibration services are even NATA accredited. We know that you may need to oversee your company’s employee drug testing program while you are at the office or on the jobsite. However, when you get home, we know that you will be able to relax, knowing that you did your job well and bought high quality drug test equipment.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/inspiration-for-your-days-off/

Hard Todays, Calm Tomorrows

Urine Drug Test

Some people work hard every day of their lives, but because they failed to plan ahead and set aside a little more every month, they become embroiled in their own workaholic ways and easy spending habits, and thus they keep having difficult tomorrows.

This is sad to watch, because it means that they could have had peace if they had just planned ahead and stuck with their initial strategy. However, since they did not plan for tomorrow, tomorrow came and with it came empty checkbooks and depleted bank accounts.

Even the wiliest of people can bring starvation upon themselves if they do not plan ahead on a pretty regular basis.

However, with a plan in place, you may have a hard today. You may struggle and sweat and bleed for today. But, when tomorrow comes, you will be calm and tomorrow will be taken care of. Therefore, when you are looking to improve your employee drug testing situation, remember that nothing beats having high quality drug test equipment which can last you into the future without all of the pain and suffering of having to upgrade and throw out old equipment every two years.

Instead, look at CMM Technology and what we can provide for your tomorrow and that of your business. Don’t wait until you need to use your drug test kits and alcohol test right away before you order. Keep a small supply in stock for any occasion or emergency which may arise, especially if you need quick documentation of an inebriated employee right away. Drug testing in Western Australia provides quick, accurate test results through the use of CMM Technology and our equipment. If you need quick documentation, make sure that it is reliable. Be sure and have your drug test equipment on hand right away. Try our oral fluid drug tests, like our Rapid STAT saliva drug test, and start from there. If you like what we have to offer in the way of saliva drug tests, then you might be interested in looking at some of our alcohol tests. The important thing is to keep things up and running and as accurate as possible.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/hard-todays-calm-tomorrows/

A Bit of an Intellectual Dilemma

Urine Drug Test

Let’s say that you are faced with the following situation: You must let go of one of your employees, because your business needs to cut down one or two of the staff. You have a really good and highly productive employee who does not have desirable drug testing results, and you have a fairly lazy, lackadaisical employee who always tests clean.

What do you do? It is, indeed, a bit of an intellectual dilemma, because if you did not have the drug testing results, you would definitely choose to retain the more productive employee who has a better attitude and work ethic. Then again, you do not want to gamble with the safety of your other workers or break company policy if your business does not have a multiple strike option for employees who have less than desirable drug testing results.

The first thing you should do is to double check that the data you have for all of your employees is accurate. For that, you may need to switch companies which supply drug test kits and alcohol tests to your business. CMM Technology provides reliable equipment which you can depend upon, and that kind of mental reassurance is something that is definitely worth the investment of change equipment suppliers.

Now, as long as all of your data is coming from a reliable source, like our Lifeloc FC10 or our Medix integrated pro-split cup 6+6, with built in adulterant test, then you can go forward with your decision regarding everyone’s safety and company policy without any further doubt in your mind. Also, double checking test results which you are not sure about is always a good idea, anyway, particularly when it comes to long term business decisions. Make sure that the first time counts with drug test equipment from CMM Technology.

Intellectual dilemmas like these may come across your desk once in a while, but hopefully it doesn’t happen too often, especially now that you have a really good quality equipment supplier. You will always want to make the most out of what you have.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/a-bit-of-an-intellectual-dilemma/

Myths About Addiction and Recovery (Every Employer Should Know)

Drug Testing

“Did you see how much beer that bloke drank at the office party without getting drunk? Wish I could do that.” It is tempting in the Australian culture to admire people who are able to down multiple beers and still appear to be unaffected. Drinking is endemic in society, and it is not always possible to judge the effects that alcohol or drugs are having on each person. Someone can be using illicit drugs and not have yet reached the point at which physical symptoms become noticeable. There may be behavioural symptoms, but not always. Until a person reaches a point of dependence, and thus desperation, it is a myth to believe drug and alcohol abuse will be obvious in everyone. That is just one myth, and one reason why random testing for drugs and alcohol is so important.

Building a Support System

The myths do not stop with the symptoms of drug and alcohol use. They also abound in the area of addiction recovery. Workers who agree to participate in an Employee Assistance Plan or to get addiction counselling will return to work at some point. Subscribing to the myths about recovery can harm the workers’ chances of resuming a substance-free, productive life. Myths about addiction recovery develop because people do not always take the time to study the latest health research, or they listen to people who really are not sure what they are talking about.

Employers should be aware of the typical myths about alcohol and drug addiction recovery for two reasons. First, it helps the employer develop a plan that supports the returning worker’s success in staying away from substances. Second, dismantling the myths in employee training and development sessions builds effective peer support. Though the privacy of workers should always be protected, it is difficult for a worker who “disappears” for a period of time to keep it as secret that he or she had to seek addiction treatment.

A myth that should be dispelled is that people who crave drugs and alcohol have no willpower. The body of scientific research supports the fact that illicit drugs and persistent use of alcohol impacts brain chemistry.  Addiction is caused by a mixture of emotional, physical, and psychological factors. A recovered worker returning to a place of employment should not be told he or she has no willpower or was just being weak. It shows a true lack of knowledge about addiction.

Another myth is that a relapse means the person will become an addict once again. The returning worker may relapse, but it is how the relapse is managed that really matters. If the person is able to recall the misery of addiction and can immediately return to recovery, the one relapse is not necessarily devastating. However, the statistics on the chances of relapse occurring are high enough to lead employers to place returning workers in non-safety sensitive positions for a period of time.

Forever “On Alert”

True addiction can be considered a chronic illness. A person who has recovered is     now fully aware of their propensity to become addicted due to genetics, brain chemistry changes, or other reasons. Recovery must be managed over a lifetime, just like any other chronic health condition.1 It is a myth to believe the worker is recovered and that is the end of the story. People serious about recovery do return to work, assume their prior positions, and are productive the rest of their lives. It is just important to recognise they are always “on alert”.

Yet another myth is that withdrawal symptoms automatically mean a person is addicted. Like the bloke who drinks too much and yet shows no outward indications of drunkenness, a person withdrawing from cocaine may not show observable signs of withdrawal. Employers are often surprised by random drug test results because the employee testing positive did not show symptoms of use or withdrawal.

As for people who drink heavily and seem fine, the fact is they have been affected even if there are no visible signs. Each person reacts in a different way to alcohol, and reactions depend on many factors. These include the type of drink and personal characteristics. Weight, gender, and age influence alcohol affects. The state of mind has an impact also.2 The bloke at the work party may be hyper-sensitive about his behaviour in front of co-workers and manages to control alcohol-induced actions. When that person cannot pass a breathalyser test during a work shift, no one is really surprised because of how well the person is able to control reactions. Of course, anyone who continues drinking without interruption will eventually succumb and show signs of being drunk. This simply supports the critical need for random alcohol test in the workplace.

Buying into the myths about drug and alcohol addiction and recovery can harm the health and safety of the workplace. CMM Technology (cmm.com.au) has a host of products designed to detect drugs and alcohol. What happens after detection depends on the employer’s full understanding of the long-term impacts of substance abuse, including after the employee returns to work upon completing treatment.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/myths-about-addiction-and-recovery-every-employer-should-know/

Healthy Lifestyles Education Contributes to Substance Free Workplace

Saliva Drug Test

Helping workers stay off drugs or quit using illicit drugs can be accomplished in a number of ways. Employers can play an important role because they have a front line advantage. Though drug and alcohol testing can be viewed strictly as a necessary step in keeping substances out of the workplace, testing can also be one component in a workplace program promoting good decision-making in areas of health. In other words, employees are encouraged to make good lifestyle decisions that impact general health. The employer benefits because healthy employees are more productive, take fewer sick days, and make fewer health insurance claims. Worker education programs that promote staying off drugs and avoiding excessive use of alcohol a lifestyle decision, in addition to eating healthy and getting regular exercise, make sense.

Positive Component of Broader Policy

All too often, employers and employees view drug and alcohol testing programs as stand-alone initiatives. They are not encapsulated in general workplace health and safety policies and procedures. Unfortunately, that approach contributes to the idea that alcohol and drug testing is a “catch-you” program rather than a positive company-wide approach to promoting good healthcare. Healthy lifestyles on all levels in personal lives equate to healthy lifestyles in the workplace in a number of ways that may not seem obvious at first glance.

Co-workers do not support or protect fellow workers who are using drugs and alcohol in the workplace because they understand the implications in terms of potential injuries
Employees are more likely to report safety hazards resulting from co-worker substance abuse because they are more aware of the dangers
Employees are more supportive of the drug and alcohol testing programs because they can connect it to healthy lifestyles
Job satisfaction is increased by creating a workplace environment that is perceived as supportive and caring
Improves workplace morale by promoting a positive psychosocial work environment
Reduces worker stress and anxiety and promotes a feeling of power and control because substance abuse is not tolerated

One of the issues associated with workplace substance abuse is the fact co-workers cover for other people. They do not want to be tattle-tellers or feel there will be repercussions as a result of reporting workplace substance abuse. Creating a substance free workplace is not always easy because drugs and alcohol have become so pervasive in society. However, achieving that goal benefits everyone – workers, worker families, employers, and communities.

Fitting the drug and alcohol policy and testing procedures into a healthy workplace program is not difficult. It begins with company-wide change initiatives that promote positive attitudes toward healthy practices and are supported by management practices that reinforce those attitudes.1 For example, many companies hold training workshops that teach safety and ways to avoid injuries. The sessions are supplemented with a reporting system that documents incidences, and the reports are analysed to determine if there are ways to prevent the same injuries from happening again. People under the influence of drugs and alcohol have a higher risk of incurring injury, and this information is incorporated into future workshops.

A drug and alcohol organisational change initiative can be approached in the same manner. Training sessions promoting a substance free workplace to teach people about the drug and alcohol policy and procedures are held. The sessions are supplemented with a reporting system that enables workers to confidentially report situations that they believe involve substance use in the workplace. However, the workshops can present the policy and procedures as a component of a larger healthy workplace program that ties substance abuse and increased injury rates together. In this way, each workshop addressing a healthy workplace initiative also reinforces a substance free workplace.

Proving Managerial Commitment

The benefits of having an open, integrated and well-transmitted set of policies and procedures are many. It shows a managerial commitment to workplace health and safety. A comprehensive health policy and program that includes a drug and alcohol component also shows there are expectations as to worker behaviours and personal responsibilities. Health and safety training promotes organisation-wide solutions to problems and holds everyone more accountable for their actions and the actions of co-workers.2 Business processes can be enhanced by improving worker productivity.

There are direct and indirect ways to discuss the dangers of substance abuse. Employers can directly talk about them in separate sessions and indirectly keep the information in the forefront by incorporating the information in other health and safety training sessions. A poster in the lunch room promoting a healthy diet or regular exercise can just as easily promote substance free living.

The drug testing program can rely on quality drug test kits and alcohol test from CMM Technology (cmm.com.au). Companies investing in reliable testing equipment prove their commitment to maintaining a healthy and safe workplace.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/healthy-lifestyles-education-contributes-to-substance-free-workplace/

Alcohol, Acquired Brain Injury and Job Performance

Urine Drug Test

The long-term health problems triggered by alcohol abuse can be significant. Many of those problems are well-known, like an increased risk of developing cancer of the oesophagus, liver damage, and a weakened heart muscle. However, what non-health professionals may not be familiar with is Alcohol Related Brain Injury (ARBI) which is caused by brain cells damaged directly by alcohol or indirectly as a result of thiamine (vitamin B1) depletion due to alcohol or a nutritional thiamine deficiency connected to the lifestyle. Workers who drink excessively for over 10 years and over the age of 40 are more likely to develop this brain injury. The manifestations have a direct relationship to the ability of the worker to complete quality job performance. They also emphasise the need for workplace alcohol test.

The symptoms of ABI almost read like a laundry list of the characteristics of a poor performer in the workplace. People with ARBI have difficulty with problem solving and goal setting. They struggle to cope with even small changes in routines, and operate best when there is a repetitive quality to required job performance. Other worrying symptoms include the inability to recognise the consequences that will be produced by certain behaviours and difficulty with planning and organising. That is not all. People with ARBI have short-term memory problems that are not related to blackouts. ARBI interferes with a person’s ability to handle jobs requiring eye-hand coordination (visual-spacial).1

The symptoms mentioned are associated with ARBI that is at the mild to medium stage. If the ARBI is significant, the person will be unmotivated, get easily disoriented, confuse dates, show a lack of insight, and experience other difficult symptoms. At any stage, people with ARBI are most comfortable doing ingrained, repetitive work.

Testing...Not Diagnosing

In Australia, there are over 2,500 people treated for ARBI annually, which likely means there are thousands who are not diagnosed. Current estimates are 200,000 Australians have it already and are not diagnosed, and over 2 million are at risk of developing ARBI due to excessive long-term drinking.2 Since many of the people are older, there is a likelihood that most of them are working, and especially in Australia where alcohol consumption begins at an early age.  ARBI can lead to an increased risk of falls and accidents, job mistakes, mental confusion, and ‘confabulation”, in which someone makes up information to fill memory gaps and believes the information is true. However, employers should also be aware of the fact that younger people can develop ARBI quickly if they binge drink, and many do.

Employers are not responsible for diagnosing workers with ARBI. However, they do need to understand that the alcohol breathalyser test identifies people who are likely chronic users as well as infrequent ones. People who would violate the alcohol policy and risk losing their job are probably working on addiction or are addicted already, making them prime candidates for ARBI. Alcoholism can lead to cerebellar atrophy (poor coordination of lower limbs), peripheral neuropathy (negative impacts on peripheral nerves leads to the ‘pins and needles’ feeling or numbness), Wernicke’s Encephalography (life threatening condition due to thiamine deficiency), and hepatic encephalopathy (alcohol related liver disease produces psychiatric symptoms).

CMM Technology (cmm.com.au) has many breathalyser options for alcohol testing. Employers can choose the model that best fits their budgets and needs. All of the equipment options meet Australian Standards stringent requirements and represent state-of-the-art technology.

 

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/alcohol-acquired-brain-injury-and-job-performance/

 

Today is the Time To Do It

We have all heard of the dangers and side effects of procrastination. If you procrastinate, or put off what you are doing until the last possible minute, then you are ready to deliver shoddy, incomplete, and disorganized work. It is poorly researched, you have no idea what you are doing, and you can even end up looking like a fool in front of a large group of people.

So, how do you fix procrastination?

The truth is, procrastination is not just some little personality quirk. It can be a much larger character flaw. It means that you do not choose to bear the weight of your own responsibilities upon your shoulders, but to put it off onto someone else. This means that other people are carrying the weight of your problems or tasks for you, rather than you carrying them. That is both irresponsible and highly ludicrous.

Even in drug testing, employees attempt to get away with things. Adulterant tests reveal that cheaters are frequent and pervasive, no matter how smooth talking they may be. Any drug test, from oral fluid drug tests to urine drug tests, can reveal that an individual has been abusing drugs, and breathalyser devices can reveal that they have been abusing alcohol. All of this is occurring while they are on the worksite!

There must be a certain amount of accountability which does not come from other people, but from you. I find purpose in what I am doing. You must be able to hold yourself to a higher standard, despite how and why this compares with the standard of other people. You must do today’s work today, rather than putting it off until tomorrow, thinking that all will be okay if you forget it about it for a time.

Employee drug testing must be upheld in order to prevent abuse from occurring on the worksite, and to encourage workers to hold themselves accountable for their own actions or inactions. If you were employed in your own company, would you act any differently? Internal motivation makes a lot of difference, but procrastination and substance abuse are also ruled by self discipline and self respect.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/today-is-the-time-to-do-it/

The Heroin Seasons

Urine Drug Test

Heroin addicts rule the summertime. Heroin dulls the senses and helps you to feel invincible. It’s immensely pleasurable, and it is also highly addictive. Addicts can live in sub-normal living conditions, in broken down warehouses, and barely wear clothing to keep themselves warm because they are so able to drown out the sensory feelings they would normally receive from their deprived bodies. In the wintertime, such behavior often leads to being frozen to death, and so the cycle of heroin addiction usually begins in the warmer months.

If you are a heroin addict or you know someone who is, understand that heroin will slowly but very effectively take your life from you. It is a long, slow, emotionally disturbing suicide. Someone who is under the influence of heroin off and on for a year is usually unrecognizable in both their behavior and their appearance by now. There is so much that heroin does to the individual that it cannot be given enough warnings and it cannot be fought hard enough.

Individuals who are fighting, actively fighting it, heroin addiction must understand that this will be a long and very steep hill to climb. Both heroin and cocaine give you that feeling of invincibility, and that results in major withdrawal symptoms when it leaves your body. Instead of returning to a feeling of being normal, you withdraw with a feeling of helplessness and cowardice. It’s an awful experience, and long term heroin addiction can result in a withdrawal process which is insanely soul wrenching. If, however, you can get your body back onto basic nutrition and healthy food, then you will be able to at some point form a new personality and become a functioning person with normal thoughts and feelings.

Drug test equipment found at CMM Technology is great for determining who among your workforce is under the influence of different types of illicit narcotics. Take advantage of the high quality drug testing equipment available with our company. CMM Technology can walk you through the process of ordering and using our products. Make sure your workers are fit for duty by placing your purchase order with us today.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/the-heroin-seasons/

The Example of Little Children

Urine Drug Test

When you look at little children, you will see a very healthy emotional attitude toward the world. Problems last less than an hour, troubles are easily forgotten, and their hope for the future reaches enormous proportions.

In addition to all of that, if you talk to a child, you will see just how clear headed they really can be. This is especially noticeable if you have been getting too far inside your own head lately.

Little children don’t have trust issues or deep emotional trauma or any of the heavy stuff that adults carry around. It can be quite liberating to understand that you’ve been stuck inside your head all this time. Life really can be simple. Life really can be easy.

In the workplace, employees have to look out for heavy machinery or potential clients or anyone who may overhear a negative or partial comment and become defensive. At work, you have to really pay attention to what you are doing or you can destroy any prospects of a career or job continuance, at the very least.

However, you should not have to worry about physical danger from your coworkers. You should not have to be concerned about other people for anything beyond the basic human error.

The result, of course, is that many people can suffer traumatic, small, or even fatal injuries from employees who are under the influence of drugs and alcohol. It has become so common that legal restrictions have been placed in businesses and even certain industries for the last thirty or so years.

Now, CMM Technology is bringing you the best of employee drug testing through our high quality drug test kits and alcohol breathalyser devices. We are even NATA accredited for breathalyser calibration, which is something of which we are proud.

The example of little children should be followed. It is time to get outside our own heads and to trust in the screening tests we have set into place when drug testing our employees. For that, you need reliable drug test equipment that you can actually count on.

For more information, please contact CMM Technology directly.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/the-example-of-little-children/

Stressless Pacing

Urine Drug Test

“Pace yourself.” You may have heard this growing up. It is often spoken by adults to enthusiastic kids or teens. It means that rather than doing something all at once and overwhelming yourself, pacing yourself through incremental stages can really be more effective and leave you less stressed out.

In business, a lot is done by doing things a little bit at a time. A lot is accomplished by assigning a team to work on a project, rather than one person. A team can divide the labor and, thus, divide the stress. This breaking down of large projects into small pieces is part of pacing. In fact, that is what pacing is: The studied parceling of large portions into bite size portions. There must be a way to systematically get large, even enormous projects done and this is it.

Stressful pacing still involves doing too much within too short of a period of time. It is still too overwhelming. Many employees who are under the influence of drug abuse or alcoholism set unrealistically high or boringly low goals and regularly frustrate themselves with their inability to appropriately accomplish tasks. Being around people like this can be extremely distracting and even can begin to affect your own work performance. It is important to know who is bringing these habits and attitudes in to work and who is leaving them in their personal lives, where they belong.

Of course, you will want to pace yourself with drug testing, too. You will want to make sure that your employees are tested on a regular basis, and if you have a large company, then you may find that you need to schedule the employee drug testing over a period of days, at regular intervals throughout the month or year. And do not worry about the scheduling. Your drug test kits and breathalyser devices from CMM Technology will be effective no matter how often your testing schedule is implemented. Drug testing in Western Australia is easy because of our products. In fact, our Medix integrated pro-split cup 6+6 has a built in adulterant test, so that you can really be thorough.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/stressless-pacing/

Never Born This Way

Urine Drug Test

Some scientists have studied DNA structuring and have determined that people are more likely to have a bad addiction if their parents also had that addiction. Of course, nutrition changes DNA, and if they grow up with the example being set and with being deficient in key nutrients because their parents are, as well, then this could be the cause for genetic predisposition for drug or alcohol abuse that some people are said to have.

Behavioral science states that, no matter what the predisposition toward certain things, you can change your current DNA structure and how your body is affected by things by changing your lifestyle itself. Now, that just seems too easy, but remember that humans have a habit of making things more complicated than they have to be. Since the human mind is so complex, there is an inherent desire to either read more complexity into a situation than is actually there or to develop more complex systems for ourselves than is in any way necessary.

However someone finds their way to abuse, doing it on the worksite is both against company policy and is illegal is some respects. That means that, if you are to achieve justice or are to bring your employees in line with your company policy, you must have a set and standard way of evaluating your employees potential drug or alcohol abuse. Drug testing in Western Australia is so much easier, thanks to the drug test equipment distributed by CMM Technology. This whole matter does not have become a huge ordeal. Simply purchase the screening tests, implement your employee drug testing program, and read the numbers and data which are presented to you. It does not have to be more complicated than that. Your workers…they were never born this way. They adopted certain practices which, if continued, can put yourself or your other employees in danger. It is therefore necessary to take certain action in the direction of appropriate employee drug testing. Birth and genetic predisposition are not allowed to become the focal point here. Your company safety is, though.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/never-born-this-way/

Keeping the Old Friends

Urine Drug Test

There are few things more valuable than old friends. Let’s examine some of the ways in which old friends are so much more valuable than acquaintances or even high quality new friends. Old friends know you for who you are. They know your strengths, your weaknesses, and exactly how you like your coffee in the morning. They know when to leave you alone and when to force you to confront them. They understand your nature and why you do the things you do. When there is a misunderstanding between you and your spouse (which is often the case between the sexes), old friends know exactly what to say to them about you to describe to them who you are as a person. Yes, this is even the case for spouses, because not everyone of the opposite sex understands their life partner fully.

Old friends pull you out of messes and are strong for you when you are too weak to hold your life together. Old friends know when to give you your space and when to force themselves into your space and not leave. Old friends understand that, if you have an addiction, it will change who you are as a person and you will never be the same again.

When CMM Technology began distributing high quality drug test equipment throughout Australia, we knew that the best reference we could have would be from businesses which have used our products, found them flawless, and needed to help other business professionals to use our services because they are so impressed the level of our quality. Now, even the competition would appreciate such a gesture. That is how high we wanted our standards to be when we began our company, and we believe that we’ve held these standards just as high as when we started.

Do you need alcohol breathalyser devices for your company? Use our popular Lifeloc FC10 breathalyser devices. Do you need saliva drug tests, instead? Try out our Rapid STAT saliva drug test, and remember to get feedback from your employees about how easy it is for them to use when they are screened.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/keeping-the-old-friends/

Daily Business Operations and Drug Testing Schedules

Alcohol Test

Between employees taking vacation days off and not showing up on the spur of the moment and needing to alter your regular business operations in order to implement your basic drug testing, it may seem as if your employees are being screened and evaluated and taking time off of work more than they are actually working. That is the benefit of onsite drug testing. Onsite screening makes it possible for your employees to go back to their work right away, because it occurs right at your place of business. On-site drug testing services are provided by our sister company, Mediscreen.

However, CMM Technology provides the drug test equipment to make such onsite screening even possible. We provide urine drug tests, oral fluid drug tests, alcohol tests, and are NATA accredited for breathalyser calibration. It doesn’t get much better than that. We are your one-stop-shop for equipment. Your employees will be thoroughly screened, but most importantly, they will be accurately screened, thanks to the screening tests you employ.

Sometimes, daily business operations do not include all of these other plans, such as the testing involved. It can seem like a distraction or an interruption. However, having that evaluative data on hand when you are reviewing your employees is very important. In fact, people cannot over-estimate the power of good scientific data when it comes to evaluating their workers. All too often, it is done by subjective opinion, and one man’s hero is another man’s outlaw. Opinion should not enter into the matter when it comes to substance abuse. There should be a paper trail, thorough documentation, to back up any information you think you have. There should be reports to back up any employment decisions you make, since the company can be put into a legal situation if an angry ex-employee decides to cause trouble. Make sure that all of your paperwork and data are in order.

Don’t worry about the time involved to screen your employees. Daily business operations are aided by drug testing, not hindered by it. For more information or to order some of our equipment.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/daily-business-operations-and-drug-testing-schedules/

Never Let Function and Purpose Die

Breathalyser

Function and purpose are two of the mostly widely overlooked things when some people start up a company. Rather than building the company around a function or a definitive purpose, they build it around dreams. Now, ideas are the cornerstone of the business marketplace, but the company itself must serve a purpose. If it does not, then its operations will not be easily performed nor will its contribution to the national economy mean much. It is necessary, therefore, to build your business around a purpose and to, in all things, perform that purpose to the best of everyone’s ability. This vision of owning and operating your own business does not have to die out in the rustiness of unfulfilled operations. It can happen, but it must involve both function and purpose.

Now, in the realm of employee drug testing, we here at CMM Technology easily fill this role. Our business distributes drug test equipment to facilitate high quality and accurate drug testing in Western Australia, although our products are shipped nationwide, too. Our breathalyser recalibration services are also high quality, and this is the beginning of our function. Our screening tests deliver information to you, the owner or manager, which tells you about the company policy abidance of your employees. Of course, for some industries, our services are a legal necessity, but for many businesses, saliva drug test and breathalyser devices serve their own purpose quite well. No explanation is needed. 

In the realm of business operations, incompetent employees bring down both your business’ function and its purpose. That makes you entire operation look bad. Word travels fast when it comes to companies which don’t employ the best workers. Customer service declines, worker expectations decline, and the whole operation suffers. That is why employee drug testing brings a touch of rational, sane, scientific proof to your world. That is why people find themselves secretly enjoying the drug testing if they think about what it protects them from. Though, you should by no means expect your employees to admit to this particular joy. Nobody in their right mind would.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/never-let-function-and-purpose-die/