Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry News
Banff harm reduction program offers free fentanyl tests
Earlier in January, the Banff Public Library launched a pilot program which combines harm reduction approaches with access to relevant information in order to address the ongoing opioid crisis in Alberta. Moreover, the library had partnered with primary care networks...
Impaired driving offences are on the rise in Saskatchewan
According to new data released by Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI), there were 414 impaired driving offences in the province in December, including 240 Criminal Code of Canada charges and 174 sanctions such as license suspensions. While the number of criminal...
Reviewing your FMCSA drug and alcohol testing program for 2023
Since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) launched its Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse in January 2020, carriers became required to query the clearinghouse before hiring a driver. Consequently, implementing drug and...
FMCSA rejects request to use hair testing results
In December, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) denied a request from a group of carriers to expand the scope of the reported drug clearinghouse results to also include the results of hair testing. The request for hair testing results to be...
P.E.I. Special unit arrests dozens in 2022
According to a news release published by the RCMP on Prince Edward Island, a specialized unit made 52 impaired driving arrests in 2022. In addition, 43 of the drivers arrested were impaired by drugs, while eight drivers were impaired by alcohol, and one was charged...
Yukon leads the country with highest per-capita overdose death rate
In an update published on December 15, Yukon’s Chief Coroner Dr. Heather Jones stated that a total of 25 people died from toxic drug use in the territory during 2022. These numbers correspond to the record-high 2021 overdose-related death statistics for the territory....
Largest ever opium seizure worth $50M made in Vancouver
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officials recently reported seizing nearly 2,500 kg of opium in the largest opium seizure to date for the agency. The details of the seizure and investigation were released in a press conference at the Tsawwassen Container...
2023 DOT Updates
Pre-employment Investigations It has now been three years since the FMCSA Clearinghouse came into being, with all FMCSA DOT violations to the drug and alcohol regulations being posted within it. This means that for employers following 49 CFR 391.23(e) they are now...
First supervised drug inhalation service opens in Toronto
In November of last year, Toronto’s Casey House hospital added drug inhalation to the list of services it offers through its supervised consumption service. As a result, clients can now smoke substances on-site as part of its hospital-based supervised consumption...