Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry News
Proof of vaccination may be required for new hires
With recent rollouts of COVID-19 vaccines ramping up and employers gearing up for their staff to return to the office in the fall, many employers are questioning whether they are allowed to require new hires to show proof of vaccination. According to a blog article...
Edmonton allows park drinking
A new pilot project launched May 28 in Edmonton has allowed people to drink alcohol in designated park areas. The project, which was approved by Edmonton city council, will make it legal for people to drink in 47 designated sites in seven parks in the river valley....
Anishinaabe Nation asserts sovereignty and passes law on alcohol use
Earlier in May, a traditional Anishinaabe law on alcohol possession came into effect in Grassy Narrows in northwestern Ontario – a move that demonstrated a clear departure from provisions under the federal Indian Act that prohibit alcohol on First Nations across...
Numbers of overdose deaths for men in trades continues growing
As the number of deaths from toxic illicit street drugs in British Columbia continues to rise, the latest statistics show that five people per day are now dying from drug-related overdoses in the province. Recently, Island Health has launched a new campaign to prevent...
Study: Prescription drugs increase risk of road collisions
According to the results of a new research study published in the journal The Lancet Public Health, some types of prescription medications are associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle collisions. The study aimed to investigate the risk of collision...
Improvements needed to detect cannabis impairment in drivers
A new study by researchers at McGill University published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal shows that significant improvements are needed in Canada to detect cannabis impairment among drivers. Specifically, the study results show that improvements are...
Alberta court upholds random drug and alcohol testing
The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench has recently issued a decision on Phillips v. Westcan Bulk Transport Ltd, upholding a non-unionized employer's use of random drug and alcohol testing in Alberta for safety sensitive positions. This decision provides further clarity...
COVID-19 pandemic shows why Canada needs a federal alcohol act
In a recent opinion article published in Policy Options, authors Laura J. Kennedy and Noel Guscott discussed the reasons Canada needs a federal alcohol act. According to the report released by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), one quarter of...
New app tested in Ontario to prevent overdoses
Healthcare providers across Canada are now testing an app designed to reduce overdose-related deaths. The mHealth app, originally created by Lifeguard Digital Health based in Vancouver, was released in May 2020 in British Columbia through the Provincial Health...