Substance Abuse
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Pot Laws Facing High Court Scrutiny?
Nothing is on the U.S. Supreme Court docket yet but with recent passage of liberal marijuana-use laws, a case could fire up justices.
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Headed to Work in Washington State? Don't Fire Up That Bong Just Yet …
Despite voter approval liberalizing pot laws in two states, state marijuana laws haven't taken away an employer's right to maintain a drug-free workplace, especially as mandated by the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 for companies with federal grants or contracts.
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New Pot Laws? No Worries
Following voter approval of recreational marijuana use in Washington state and Colorado, one employment lawyer nevertheless recommends making any necessary revisions to company drug policies so no gray areas exist between state and federal law.
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Substance-Abuse Intervention Works Best When the Boss Steps In: Study
A new study reveals supervisors must go past detection and aid in enforcement of substance-abuse policies to deter use of alcohol and drugs on the job.
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Q&A With Jay Krueger: Evaluating Medical Marijuana Policies
Jay Krueger is chief strategy and client services officer at PMSI Inc., providing overall strategic direction for the Tampa, Florida-based provider of pharmacy benefit management services, medical equipment, home health care and case settlement services.
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Prescription Drug Studies Focus on Key Workers' Comp Cost Drivers
Evaluating workers' comp prescription drug trends is crucial because pharmaceuticals comprise a significant part of employers' spending on injured workers, said one expert.
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Worker's Marijuana Use Cause of Explosion; Comp Benefits Denied
Three of the court's nine judges dissented to a portion of the opinion. Judge Raymond Abramson noted that Greg Prock had used a torch in the past to open barrels, and said the accident may not have been directly caused by Prock's past drug use.
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State Reduces Opioid Prescriptions in Workers' Comp Cases
The state guidelines are called for because workers with relatively minor workplace injuries are ending up addicted or dying from overdoses.
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Drug Arrests at Boeing Plant May Reveal Bigger Workplace Worry
Employers nationwide have learned that some workers' compensation claimants are becoming addicted to opioid painkillers prescribed for their work-related injuries; they are also discovering that employees using those prescription drugs may also drive workplace injuries.
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Texas Gun Law Adds New Level of Vigilance for Employers
More than a dozen states already have such laws and adding Texas to that group was a major coup for the gun rights lobby. Two previous bills had failed in the Legislature before SB 321—known as the Employee Parking Lot Bill—passed in May and was signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry.
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Drugs Increase Employer Pain
As the over-prescription of narcotic pain relievers to injured workers grows to near epidemic proportions, applying medical guidelines would help eliminate unnecessary consumption and the problems it drives, the occupational medical experts say.
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How to Spot, Stop and Prevent On-the-Job Drug Abuse
Unlike pre-hire testing, random testing is performed on an unannounced, unpredictable basis on existing employees. As such, it is a powerful long-term deterrent for curbing on-the-job substance abuse, since it poses a much higher threat of detection than pre-hire testing.
