Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry News
FMCSA grants waiver for pre-employment testing
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the FMCSA, an agency of the DOT, has put a three-month waiver into place for certain pre-employment testing requirements. This waiver comes in response to the President’s Executive Order No. 13924, issued on May 19, 2020, Regulatory Relief...
Arbitrator rules drug test policy too broad
A recent arbitration decision has determined that parts of the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s (SHA) drug and alcohol testing policy are too broad. The policy was created in 2018, following legalization of cannabis. The arbitration ruling was made on March 31,...
U.S. Anti-doping agency launches at-home drug testing program
The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has announced the initiation of an unprecedented at-home drug testing program which will involve top Olympians conducting self-administered urine and blood tests while being observed remotely on Zoom or FaceTime by USADA personnel....
New York City bans testing for cannabis
A new law passed by the New York City Council referred to as Int. No. 1445-A took effect on May 10, 2020. This new law prohibits employers in New York City from requiring prospective employees to submit to drug testing for tetrahydrocannabinols (THC), the active...
Ontario temporarily lowers price of alcohol sold by restaurants
The province of Ontario has lowered the minimum price of alcohol sold by licensed bars and restaurants to alleviate the burden of the struggling hospitality industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “The AGCO continues to work closely with the Government of Ontario during...
MROCC approves DATAC MROA course
DATAC is very excited to announce the release of our very own Medical Review Officer Team Member/Assistant (MROA) course, the ONLY Canadian course of its kind. This course has been approved by the only regulatory body that gives out the MRO Team Member certification,...
Canadian drug seizures and arrests aided by social distancing
Despite ongoing social distancing measures, multiple drug seizure operations have taken place across Canada. In April, Chilliwack RCMP had reported a seizure of illegal drugs, cash and firearms on a search warrant at a private residence in Chilliwack, BC, which took...
Coronavirus response takes toll on addiction rehabilitation
Health authorities and organizations have recently expressed their growing concerns regarding the effects of social distancing and restrictions on addiction recovery during the coronavirus outbreak across North America. As usual routines become disrupted for...
Drug use prevalent, but hard to prove in family law
A recent article published by the Canadian Family Lawyer magazine has highlighted the issues surrounding confirming drug use in family law. In family law cases, recreational cannabis consumption has been treated similarly to social drinking since its legalization in...