Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry News
B.C. doctors accused of conflict of interest for links to drug-testing industry
Earlier in September, several B.C. physicians specializing in assessing addiction have been accused of “massive conflict of interest” by several organizations which have pointed out the addiction specialists’ potential financial interest in the drug testing industry....
Returning to work after a positive drug test
A recent article published in Daily Commercial News discussed the steps that need to be taken to bring back an employee to work after they tested positive for drugs and were removed from the jobsite. Specifically, the article discussed the recommendations presented...
Pandemic-related spike in drinking and drug use could increase workplace testing
According to recent studies conducted in Canada and the U.S., alcohol and drug consumption has significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey carried out by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), 23.3% of survey respondents reported...
FMCSA makes new rule to downgrade licenses after alcohol and drug violations
Starting on November 8, 2021, a new rule established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will take effect, requiring truck drivers who have a positive drug or alcohol test results to have their licenses downgraded. With this new rule, the FMCSA...
Guelph Police investigate reports of students’ spiked drinks
The Guelph Police Service launched an investigation of at least four reports of female students' drinks being spiked with an unknown substance after receiving the information from the University of Guelph in September of this year. According to a statement released by...
Mental health in jeopardy as pandemic continues
According to the results of a recent survey conducted by the College of Family Physicians of Canada, nearly 9 out of 10 family doctors across Canada have stated they are increasingly concerned about patients' emotional stress related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic....
Quebec’s first mobile drug-testing unit gets approved by Health Canada
Earlier in September, Montreal’s Groupe de recherche et d’intervention psychosociale (GRIP) received an exemption from Health Canada to use its fully equipped drug-testing van to determine the composition of illicit drugs at festivals, raves and other events. GRIP’s...
Constructions workers in Western Canada heavily represented in overdose deaths
According to the results of recent large-scale studies, construction workers are heavily represented in overdose deaths across Western Canada and the U.S. An analysis of 872 overdose deaths carried out by the BC Coroners Service showed that 44% of the individuals were...
Walpole Island First Nation Targets Drug Smugglers
Earlier in July, Walpole Island First Nation, a community situated south of Sarnia, Ont., declared a state of emergency to help stop a spike in overdoses. Opiates and, specifically fentanyl have been determined as the leading cause of the growing numbers of overdoses...