Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry News
The window of detection when using fingernail clippings for drug testing
By Joseph Jones, Ph.D, NRCC-TC, Vice President Laboratory Operations Fingernail, a keratinized protein like hair, is emerging as a popular specimen type for drug and alcohol testing. Using fingernail samples for toxicological analysis and pharmacokinetic studies has...
No more cannabis drug testing for Canadian student athletes
Canadian student-athletes who are connoisseurs of cannabis now have a reason to celebrate. They will no longer be ousted from sports teams for its consumption. Two years after cannabis became legal in Canada — now for both recreational and medical purposes, the...
Mobile drug and alcohol testing unit comes to Saskatoon
While deaths due to drunk driving have declined in Saskatchewan over the past few years, a considerable number of impaired drivers are still caught each month. To put this into perspective, the province saw 21 impaired driving-related deaths and 332 injuries in the...
Safe drug supply not enough for addicts
Despite the new provincial guidelines issued in March that allowed physicians more freedom to prescribe opiates and other substances to individuals struggling with addiction, drug testers in B.C. have been reporting higher concentrations of fentanyl and tranquilizes...
U.S. health experts advise men limit drinking
According to a federal committee’s recommendations for new U.S. dietary guidelines, men should cap their alcohol consumption at one drink per day. This represents a reduction from the current recommended limit of two drinks per day, matching it to the number of drinks...
Medicine Hat to open 1 of 5 new drug treatment courts in Alberta
Alberta Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer, revealed in early August that the government plans to open a drug treatment court in Medicine Hat with the goal of reducing crime by providing treatment to individuals struggling with addiction. A drug treatment court provides...
Federal Custody and Control Form Updated
The Custody and Control Form (CCF), is the chain of custody form that is used by collectors when obtaining a specimen to send to the laboratory for testing. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services...
Canadian government takes a step to decriminalize drug possession
Earlier in August, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC) released new guidelines, the PPSC Deskbook, for prosecuting the illegal possession of controlled substances under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. As part of the new guidelines, federal...
NFL delays drug testing due to COVID-19
The NFL Players Association had announced to all players that the window for annual drug testing was moved to the period of August 7-17 due to the inability of the league to complete the collection process. According to the association, the drug testing procedures...