Asking for Advice

Urine Drug Test

When you ask for advice from a business coworker or partner, they will probably give you the best answer for them, and may even tell you that this is just for their own circumstance and suggest that you may need to find a situation which works best for you. When you are thinking about how to tailor their solution to you situation, remember that consultants are often the type of people who are most valuable in this situation. They see a lot of different businesses, and they work with a lot of different types of people.

CMM Technology is frequently consulted about what we think would be best for a small business or a certain type of business environment, especially if you are changing over your drug test equipment to our types of drug test kits and alcohol tests. Drug testing is meant to be clear, concise, and easy to implement. It shouldn’t be difficult to work through, but people are more familiar with different types of drug test equipment than with others. In this situation, we suggest that you order onsite drug testing from our sister company, Mediscreen.

CMM Technology is NATA accredited for our breathalyser recalibration services, and we really want to be your recalibration specialist, even if you are still using your own alcohol tests. We know that you may not ask us for advice, and we know that you really may already know what you want. Therefore, we are sure that you will fully explore our website, and pick out the supplies which are correct for you.

Screening tests, especially ones with which you can become quickly familiar, are a godsend when your company regularly implements employee drug testing. It is okay to consult with our staff and to ask us what is comparable with equipment which you are currently using and would perhaps like to replace. Whatever your choice, know that CMM Technology is here for you and is eager to step into the shoes of your former drug test equipment supplier. We will always seek to do justice to the title of being your supplier.

This article has been taken from: http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/asking-for-advice/

An Overseer of Greatness

Urine Drug Test

Perspective is one of the most important things to have while on the jobsite, and anyone who is a leader absolutely must have it. In this regard, it is of paramount importance that you, in whatever position you are in, are able to gain almost instant perspective at any time about anything which comes across your desk or to your attention. This is especially important in situations where there is an emergency or there is an immediate need for action of some kind.

To be an overseer of greatness, you must be able to follow along with people who are under your care and guidance. If you are aware of what they are doing, and more importantly, how they think, then you can anticipate problems quite a few moves before they surface on the horizon.

CMM Technology provides high quality drug testing equipment just for this purpose. We have saliva drug test, as well as our popular Lifeloc FC10 breathalyser device. All our employee drug testing equipment, though, is part of moving forward in your business’ future. All of the tools we provide for you are meant to be used in making sure that the future is just as safe and just as secure, if not even more so, than the present.

To be an overseer of greatness, you must be great yourself. That involves recognizing quality people, quality systems, and quality drug test equipment. Even the most minute details are part of the success of your business. If you are already aware of the other two factors, then let us introduce you to the drug test equipment which your business is likely to use ever after this. You will also want to keep a nice supply in your business, for situations where you need to document an individual employee who is obviously affected by drugs or alcohol in a negative or irresponsible way.

To recognize the greatness in our products, call CMM Technology today and ask us any questions you may have. If you already use drug test kits or alcohol test, then refer to any problem areas you have with your own equipment.

This article has been taken from: http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/an-overseer-of-greatness/

The Brain on Cocaine or Meth? Same or Different?

Alcohol Test

Scientists are on a quest to identify how the intake of particular substances affects the brains of humans. Does cannabis have the same impact on the brain as cocaine? What parts of the brain are most impacted by particular drugs? Is permanent brain damage possible? Why do some people get addicted after one or two drug uses, whilst others are able to use drugs sporadically and not get addicted? How can recovered addicts learn to say “no” to drugs the rest of their lives, even after their brains are rewired through drug use?

These are just a few of the questions that still cannot be answered with absolute certainty. However, with each research project, more information is added to the knowledge base and the closer medical professionals get to understanding how illicit drugs change brain functioning. Though this will be a long process involving one study after another, it is a quest that may eventually lead to new therapy drugs that can help addicts overcome their cravings.

Slowing and Changing Brain Activity

In January 2012, a study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The neuropsychopharmacologist David Nutt led a research team to investigate the impact of psilocybin, which is a hallucinogenic chemical found in certain mushrooms. The study on brain activity during drug use focused on tracking the continuum of responses from normal to being under the influence.¹ When the study subjects used magic mushrooms, imaging technology showed brain activity decreased in the part of the brain with the densest connections to other brain areas. In other words, the psilocybin did not just slow brain activity. It interfered with the connections between sections of the brain.¹ As an employer, it is easy to imagine the consequences of slowed brain activity and interrupted functioning on the ability of employees to safely manage their jobs.

A very recent study researched whether there are differences in brain responses to cocaine versus methamphetamine, using lab raised mice. The study was led by Joseph Takahashi from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. There were two sets of mice and the two groups came from different substrains to make it easier to track the differences in brain reactions to the drugs. After administering cocaine to one group and meth to another, the researchers identified differences in the response of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the Cyfip2 gene when comparing brain reactions in the two mice groups.²

It Is All About the Brain

Though these types of research projects may not seem to have much relevance to the workplace, they are important steps taken in an attempt to better understand addiction. The Australian statistics show a significant increase in drug use in 2010 following a four year period of decline. As seizures of illicit drugs and drug precursors rise, there is no doubt substances not seized will end up in workplaces. Having a better understanding of the impact of drugs on work performance is important, and it all comes down to the brain.

To facilitate administration of a drug and alcohol testing program, CMM Technology (cmm.com.au) offers a wide range of quality testing supplies. Employers can choose the type of testing equipment that best suit their workplaces, including supplies for saliva drug test and urine drug test and alcohol testing. They will also find critical documentation forms, including important chain of custody forms.

This article has been taken from: http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/the-brain-on-cocain-e-or-meth-same-or-different/

Responding to Positive Drug Tests

Urine Drug Test

Employers can easily get confused when they read advice concerning the best way to deal with detected drug or alcohol use in the workplace. Does the employer immediately terminate the worker? Should the employee be allowed to go through multiple rehabilitation programs? Should the worker be told to go home and return the next day?  When a fair dismissal is supported by the facts, how does the employer implement the dismissal policy with minimal business disruption? These are the kind of questions that continually arise as employers attempt to fairly manage drug and alcohol programs in a way that balances workplace safety and health while promoting harm minimisation to worker lives.

As long as an employer uses rigorous and high-quality testing equipment and adheres to appropriate collection procedures, they can rely on the results. Additional appropriate safeguards include communicating clear cut-off points for positive results to workers, ensuring procedures are clear about who will be told final testing results, and developing a grievance and complaint process that includes a process for challenging test results.1  However, a well-developed set of policies and procedures also addresses how positive tests will be managed from that point forward. One of the important points to keep in mind is that the faith and trust workers put into a drug and alcohol test program depends on administrative consistency and uniform and fair application of consequences in response to positive test results.

What Next?

The consequences of positive substance tests include temporary suspension, mandatory re-testing, required counselling or completion of a rehabilitation program, and termination. How consistently an employer responds to a positive drug testing plays a major role in how seriously employees take the program and how effective the program is in the end. Assuming an employee tests positive, what are the appropriate responses?

First, the employer should always re-test the employee to verify the test result is accurate. This supports the importance of using high-quality equipment that meets Standards Australia requirements. It is important to be careful to avoid making statements that can be misconstrued by the worker. For example, saying something like, “I expected you would test positive,” instantly adds suspicion to the test despite the verifiable results. Those kinds of statements can create a perspective that the testing was done to “catch” a worker doing wrong. 

If a worker has a positive re-test, the worker should be informed in a professional manner what the next steps will be and the options offered by the employer based on the policy. The worker should be asked to stay in a safe place in the workplace until safe transportation home is arranged. An incident report should be completed quickly while events are fresh in the manager’s mind and to ensure documentation is completed. Upon consultation with Human Resources and top management, the manager will recommend the next steps which are the “consequences” of using substances in the workplace. Consequences are usually a combination of disciplinary action and some form of rehabilitative action. Disciplinary actions can include demotions, temporary suspensions, termination, or job reassignment when appropriate.2 In jobs with high safety risks, allowing the employee to return to the same position without rehabilitation is usually not an option.

Accountability and Fairness

Unfair dismissal claims brought by employees to Fair Work Australia are common. Employers are held accountable for the wording of the policies and the administration and communication of the policies. Policies and procedures must be reasonable and fair. When an employee is dismissed, the employer must be able to prove each step was completed and that the employee was not treated any differently than any other employee who tests positive for drugs or alcohol.

CMM Technology (cmm.com.au) can help employers fulfill their responsibilities to accurately and fairly administer drug and alcohol policies and procedures. CMM Technology has a wide selection of testing supplies and equipment that are reliable, accurate, and dependable.

This article has been taken from: http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/responding-to-positive-drug-tests/

Employer Takeaways from the National Alcohol Policy Scorecard

Saliva Drug Test

A balanced scorecard is a strategic business strategy designed to help managers align business activities with the corporate mission. It is a measurement tool for monitoring progress and performance against pre-established goals and can be instrumental in keeping a business focused on end goals within the framework of its vision and mission. Scorecarding can take many forms, but it is always intended to keep the business on tract to reach goals. Therefore, it should be no surprise that there is a scorecard for benchmarking the federal and state governments progress in reducing the harms associated with alcohol consumption. However, employers also need to ask themselves how they score on their efforts to maintain drug and alcohol free workplaces. It is not enough to simply put a zero tolerance policy in place. The policy must be supported with solid strategies and procedures that are goal-oriented and regularly measured.

In other words, each employer should ask itself: How do we measure up in terms of maintaining a drug and alcohol free workplace? Is the drug and alcohol testing program working? The only way to answer those questions is by setting goals, tracking incidences where substances are involved, and assessing whether goals are being met or whether progress is being made towards those goals.

Most employers establishing a drug and alcohol policy will state a zero tolerance policy. Reasonably speaking, why would any employer adopt anything more lenient? However, it may take some effort and time to reach the goal through the adoption and administration of training and development workshops and a drug and a well-managed alcohol testing program. The National Alliance for Action on Alcohol (NAAA) National Alcohol Policy Scoreboard uses a scorecard approach to assess the progress of federal and state governments towards preventing and reducing harms related to alcohol use by comparing actual performance against policy criteria. The purpose is to strengthen weak performance and to acknowledge strong results. This same approach can be used by businesses that want to ensure their efforts to maintain drug and alcohol free organisations stay on track.

The NAAA scorecard naturally addresses factors like alcohol marketing, public health oriented taxation policies, and regulating physical availability. Those these are social policy and procedural issues relevant to governments and not businesses, employers can adopt many of the other criteria within their organizations. For example, instead of a “whole-of-government” strategic plan for prevention and reduction of alcohol-related harm, an employer can develop a “whole-of-business” plan and then measure results against the plan. Other areas where scorecarding applies includes:

How health oriented are policies and is workforce health improving as evidenced through reduced incidences of drug or alcohol related incidences?

Is physical availability of alcohol minimized by workplace policies limiting drinking at employer sponsored events?

Are employees operating vehicles regularly tested for drugs and alcohol as a risk minimisation strategy? Are the number of incidences at zero or declining?

Has the educational program raised awareness of the drug and alcohol policy and potential harms resulting from substance abuse, as measured by employee surveys?

Is there an employee assistance plan in place and are employees choosing to get help rather than be terminated? Are employees successfully reintegrated into the workplace?

Is data collected on drug and alcohol related incidences and testing results?

Linking Performance to Results

Can governments “flunk” their scorecard assessments? The NAAA does believe that the Australian government should be making greater progress in reducing society’s harms resulting from excessive alcohol consumption by changing pricing and taxation policies. The highest score awarded on the annual scorecard was 57 percent and that went to the Australian Capital Territory with Western Australia ranking number 2 at 53 percent. Employers should consider how they would “rank” themselves against their goals. If the data indicates there is a need for improvement, it is time to rethink the strategic plans. Is the random alcohol drug testing inclusive of the whole workforce? Are there safety sensitive positions that need more regular testing? Is there a declining number of workers testing positive for drugs and alcohol? Are the educational workshops effective or do they need revising?

Scorecarding alcohol and drug policies and procedures require defining an organizational vision, setting goals, designing appropriate strategies and activities to meet those goals, and regularly assessing how well those activities are working to meet the goals. Key activities include The quality drug and alcohol test products CMM Technology (cmm.com.au) offers employers are crucial to maintaining a substance free workplace. Accurate random testing ensures the workplace scorecard indicates effective policies and procedures are in place.

This article has been taken from: http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/employer-takeaways-from-the-national-alcohol-policy-scorecard/

Approaching a Work on Drugs or Alcohol – Expect the Unexpected

Urine Drug Test

The Government of Western Australia’s Department of Commerce has a frequently-asked-questions tab on its Alcohol and Drugs webpage. There are four questions, and one of them is, “How should an employer approach someone affected by drugs or alcohol in the workplace?” The fact this is one of the most commonly asked questions is an indication of the concerns employers and coworkers have about approaching someone who is obviously impaired due to substance use or abuse. Professionals who are experienced in dealing with people under the influence of substances offer the same advice across the board: Avoid confrontation and rely on calming skills so the person does not feel more confused or threatened.

It is human nature to get defensive when confronted in anger. When the worker is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the emotional and mental balance is upset. It is likely that someone showing external signs of substance abuse is easily confused or may even be hallucinating. If the person is hallucinating, it is impossible to know for sure what the worker is seeing or hearing. As farfetched as it sounds, someone on hallucinogenic drugs might see “monsters” all around or believe snakes are getting ready to attack. Fortunately, most cases are not this severe, but there is simply no way to assess the extent of a worker’s impairment just by looking at the person. For this reason, the professionals are clear that it is best to avoid approaching someone who is mentally impaired by drugs and alcohol in a threatening or confrontational manner because the consequences can make the situation even worse.

Make No Assumptions

Workcover New South Wales makes two excellent points that employers should always keep in mind. First, supervisors should not make any assumptions. It might be the person only appears to be using illicit substances, when in fact it may be the worker is ill, overly stressed, or having issues with legal prescriptions. Making assumptions without knowing the facts can influence the supervisor’s attitude and prompt confrontation. The drug and alcohol test will help the employer sort through the facts. Second, the employer’s initial contact with the worker should be non-confrontational and an attempt to talk to the person in terms of workplace safety or work performance rather than discussing substance abuse.1

The Department of Commerce offers employers specific advice about what to say. In answering the frequently-asked-question concerning approaching someone on drugs or alcohol in the workplace, the employer is advised to be brief and stay calm, but remain firm. The instructions to the worker need to be delivered in an unemotional tone and repeated firmly as much as necessary. Using the person’s name repeatedly may penetrate the brain fog substance use can cause. The initial contact is not the time or place to debate, argue, or make accusations.2

Unpredictability is Predictable

It is important to remember that people using drugs or alcohol can respond in an unpredictable manner. The worker can be experiencing symptoms that fall anywhere on a spectrum ranging from mild intoxication to having hallucinations. The first step is keeping the worker as calm as possible, and then getting the person out of the work area and away from coworkers. Once in a safer area where it is possible to assess the person’s mental and emotional state and to complete drug and alcohol test, the employer is in a much better position to determine the next steps to take.

Dealing with workers under the influence of drugs and alcohol is unpleasant at best and dangerous at worst. The first defence again deteriorating workplace safety is random drug testing. CMM Technology (cmm.com.au) provides the state-of-the-art drug and alcohol testing supplies that demonstrate the employer’s willingness to invest in programs that keep all workers safe.

This article has been taken from: http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/approaching-a-work-on-drugs-or-alcohol-%E2%80%93-expect-the-unexpected/

Splurging on Drugs as a Nation

Alcohol Test

What recession? What slow global economic recovery? Apparently there is enough money in Australian households to spend on illicit drugs, if the numbers are to be believed. Be prepared to be surprised by the totals because the Aussie dollars used to purchase illicit drugs is staggering. Making the numbers even worse is the additional amount spent on drug crime budgets, representing money that could be spent on improving the country’s infrastructure, fighting homelessness, or creating jobs. Employers often see themselves as battling drug and alcohol use in small skirmishes inside the workplace, but the truth is that the workplaces represent important venues for cutting drug expenditures throughout the nation.

The government likes to issue statistics, and their importance should not be minimised. However, like most government statistics, they are buried in reports filled with legalese and carefully worded paragraphs. Presenting these statistics in an understandable way to bring home the extent of the illicit drug market is well worth the effort because they are staggering. For example, Australian households already spend $9.3 billion on water and sewage in a country where drought is common and additional infrastructure is needed. Yet they spend $7.1 billion on illicit drugs.

Wasting Money on Drugs in Unprecedented Amounts

The numbers are simply amazing, and once again, justify workplace drug and alcohol testing. Reporting data per the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australians are spending:1

Cocaine -         $783 million
Heroin   -         $750 million
Ecstasy  -         $300 million
Amphetamines -     $1.5 billion
Cannabis -         $3.8 billion

Where is all this money going? It is going to drug manufacturers and drug dealers. Australians spent $80.7 billion on food from 2011-2012, but spent $3.8 billion on cannabis, the equivalent of 4.7 percent of the entire food expense for all households. Another $14.6 billion was spent on alcohol during the same time period. Another staggering percentage is the 80 percent profit margin that the drug manufacturers and dealers are making. Australians are paying enormous amounts for substances that that can destroy their health, relationships, and careers. Why?

According to the President of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation, Alex Wodak, it is all about economics. People are making huge profits getting others addicted to drugs, and Australians are choosing to cooperate. Once addicted, the drug habit is difficult to break. The main response from politicians so far has been tighter drug prohibition laws, and yet spending on illicit drugs keeps climbing. Thus there is a raging debate as to the efficacy of this approach.

Employers play a critical role in slowing down the growth of this problem. They are not law enforcement agents, but they have important positions as frontline people who can steer addicts to rehabilitation and counselling programs. Whereas law enforcement can only arrest drug addicts and dealers to get them off the streets temporarily, employers can help workers reach resources focused on harm minimisation and restoration of pre-addiction lives.

Incalculable Costs

To put the drug spending in perspective, Australia’s federal, state and territory governments spent approximately $1 billion on drug law enforcement. That has led to discussions as to whether the money is well spent because the rates of substance abuse continue to get worse and not better. The rest of the money spent on drug related activities went for treatment, harm reduction, and prevention. The bottom line to all the numbers is that illicit drugs cost the government, households, and employers enormous amounts of money. When everything is taken into account, including long term health issues, workplace injuries, lost productivity, legal fees, and all the other drug related expenses, the grand total seems incalculable.

Employers implementing drug and alcohol policies and testing procedures are doing their part to promote safe workplaces. CMM Technology (cmm.com.au) can help by providing high quality saliva and urine drug test supplies like the DrugWipe 5S, the Alere DDS2 Saliva drug Test System, the Medix Integrated Pro-Split Cup, and the Alcosense Precision breathalyser.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/splurging-on-drugs-as-a-nation/

Keeping an Eye on the Drivers of Drug Choice

Breathalyser

Illicit drug use seems to go in cycles. Heroin, ice, ecstasy, MDMA, and other types of drugs cycle in and out of popularity. The police, government, and nonprofits keep track of these cycles by collecting statistics on things like the number of people showing up in emergency rooms due to overdose, the number of arrests connected to drug use, the number of busts of home drug-cooking laboratories, and so on. Though not an entertaining exercise, think like a drug user for a moment. How does a person choose what drugs to use? What are the drivers that prompt a person to choose one drug over another?

As is true for any product, legal or not, there are market and economic drivers guiding drug choice. There are many cases where the initial drug use was prompted by factors like peer pressure or curiosity. However, once hooked on drugs, many addicts switch from one drug to another and back again in a continuous cycle of drug abuse. Interestingly, the factors that drive drug choice sound like traditional business principles – availability, price, and accessibility.

Looking Ahead to Market Demand for Drugs

In 2000, a study reported Australia had 74,000 dependent heroin users. In 2005, a different study reported there were 72,700 dependent methamphetamine users. In comparing the study, the question was asked as to whether there were now 146,000 people dependent on heroin or meth, or if these were basically the same group of people who had switched from heroin to meth. The conclusion was that people had altered their drug use (heroin) to switch to a new drug (meth) or were using both drugs (heroin and meth) because meth had become available.1

Heroin is a drug that goes through cycles of scarcity and availability or expensive and inexpensive and even weak versus strong products, depending on where the drug is coming from and what is added to the mixture. The cycles are integrated, creating a true marketplace subject to the same economic principles as any other product. Sometimes there is advance notice of a changing market. Employers should have heeded the warning in 2008 that inexpensive Afghanistan opium was going to flood Australia and end a heroin shortage. The opium was going to be purer and cheaper. The Victorian Police Drug Squad reported at the time that heroin prices had already declined by 40 percent.2  Thus, it would have been reasonable to forecast greater market demand for heroin, meaning it is likely more workers would use heroin.

After the dire predictions, heroin use did increase for several years. Then a new trend started. Jumping forward to 2013, a review of ambulance emergency statistics indicated a 318 percent rise in emergency calls in Melbourne involving crystal methamphetamine (ice) during the two-year period of 2010 to 2012. Though there are many drivers of ice use, one of them is the fact it can be smoked rather than injected. Another driver is increased accessibility due to the increased flow of crystal meth from international dealers and the increase in home-grown meth labs.3 The significant rise in ice use between 2010 and 2011 was also documented by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Testing for Multiple Drugs of Choice

The cycles of drug use are precisely why it is important to use urine drug test products that test for more than one drug. There is no way an employer can predict whether a worker will use cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, amphetamine, or cannabis. It depends on the drug flow, accessibility, ease-of-use, and price. News reports and government statistics can help employers understand what cycle particular illicit drugs are likely to enter or are already in, but only drug testing can determine the exact drug being used at the moment by an individual. There are many testing products available today, including one for detecting synthetic cannabis.

CMM (cmm.com.au) offers the full range of drug and alcohol test products, including the Alere DDS2 Mobile Saliva Drug Test System and the DrugWipe 5S. The selection of products testing for multiple drugs gives employers the opportunity to select the one that best fits their needs and budgets.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/keeping-an-eye-on-the-drivers-of-drug-choice/