Alcoholism Affects Women First

Women are affected the most by alcoholism and they are affected first, before the same amount of damage is revealed in men. This is due to inherent biological differences between men and women. Women are also more likely to initiate actions which will lead to low emotional stability or maturity, and which increase low emotional intelligence which they may already have. When it comes to destructive behavior, women are at a disadvantage with regard to men, since they are not physically or emotionally equipped to stay strong against their own self destructive and abusive actions. Workplace Drug Testing is geared toward making sure that all employees are behaving appropriately, but female employees may be more prone to giving into their human nature should they indulge in alcoholism.

Short Term Damage

Women are affected by alcohol in short term time ranges before men. Even if men and women are of the same weight, body mass, and basic health, women become drunk faster and their reflexes are, in general, slightly less capable than men who are under the influence of the same amount of alcohol. This means that female employees who test positive for alcohol while on the jobsite can potentially be more dangerous than their equally inebriated male counterparts. Again, onsite drug and alcohol screening is geared to making sure that neither sex is putting their coworkers in danger.

Long Term Damage

The serotonin system within an alcoholic’s brain is destroyed over time due to alcohol abuse. In women, the serotonin system can be destroyed and cause permanent brain damage in 4 years, whereas it takes 12 years to cause the same amount of damage within the brain of a male. This is a strong indication of how important it is to be aware of women’s health and how women take care of their bodies, even in casual everyday circumstances.

Ladies, the author of this blog is a woman and I agree that we should all be more careful with regard to taking care of our bodies and how we set ourselves up for mental and emotional growth in the future. Mediscreen provides Drug Screening, as well as alcohol breathalyser testing, for your local business needs. Let’s keep our female employees protected and in good health: (+61) 1300 79 70 40.

Combining Structure and Change

It is human nature to be dissatisfied with our jobs and most people feel that their work is either too monotonous or too volatile. The truth is, you can get both structure and change out of your job by using Onsite Drug and Alcohol Screening for your employees. Employee drug testing is perfect for contributing both aspects to your company. First, we will tell you about the structure it creates, and then we will explain the opportunity for change that is available. After all, you need to be able to make an educated decision, right?

Structure creates less need for self discipline

One of the primary reasons why employees resort to abusive behavior on the jobsite is that working requires a certain amount of self discipline and they may not possess such a worthy quality, and it may not be fully developed if they do. Fortunately, drug & alcohol testing is wonderful because it creates a scientific boundary around them, over which they are not allowed to step. In essence, this helps your employees to not have to make a decision about self care or personal responsibility. It takes away this burden so that they can handle and better perform in their jobs. While employee drug testing is convenient for you, it actually helps work be more convenient for them, as well.

Change reduces need to cause excitement on the jobsite

Both in school and in the workplace, idle minds are hotbeds for irresponsible behavior. If a student is not being challenged enough intellectually, they are far more likely to cause disturbances in the classroom. Likewise, if there is no change in the work scene, employees are more likely to turn to alternative methods with which to entertain them. Drug Alcohol Testing is flexible and allows you to schedule it around changes in your employees’ work. This opens up your business to restructuring and even more flexibility should you choose to initiate that.

As you see, onsite drug and alcohol testing provides the structure with which you can lessen their need for self discipline, while also allowing you to change things up and create new experiences on the jobsite without being concerned about scheduling basic Drug Testing Equipment and services. Mediscreen is available 24/7 to answer any questions which you may have. 

Onsite Drug Testing is Environmentally Friendly

At Mediscreen, we care deeply about our world and the environment for which we are responsible. For those of you who also value “green” companies, Mediscreen will be of interest to you. We provide onsite drug & alcohol testing services to Australia, and we are environmentally friendly in multiple ways. To begin with, offsite testing requires individuals to drive all of their vehicles to the laboratory, but our onsite drug testing services allow us to test multiple employees at one time, reducing our carbon footprint and, of course, saving time away from work.

Onsite drug and alcohol screening also allows us to save materials which would normally be used for comprehensive laboratory testing. The mobility of our products allows us to screen for non-negative results and only take those few cases back to the laboratory for further testing. Your employees’ records are kept at your place of business, reducing copying and duplicate document waste between our laboratory and your staff members. We work quickly and efficiently, further reducing time spent on the testing process. Our products enable us to use a minimum of non-recyclable materials. We take our job of workplace drug testing very seriously, and we are glad that our business model allows us to also reduce our environmental impact.

Employee drug and alcohol testing reduces waste because inefficient businesses use up more paper products, more transportation hours, and more petroleum based fuels. A clean, organized operation can significantly keep track of extra man hours used performing simpler tasks. Businesses that wish to display a “green” image, or that wish to become more environmentally friendly, will find that Mediscreen offers the drug testing equivalent of a carpool. Workplace drug testing has never been more efficient and cleaner.

Contact Mediscreen today: (+61) 1300 79 70 40. We would like to find out more your company drug and alcohol testing needs. We serve large businesses and small enterprises, for any number of employees. We do all of the leg work so that you do not have to. Environmentally friendly drug testing is a great way to reduce costs for employee safety and keep a clean image at the same time. At Mediscreen, we believe that keeping it simple is a good philosophy and we focus on our reliability and the reliability of our Drug Testing Equipment for your company. Call us for a consultation and feel free to ask us any questions which you may have.

Is Drug and Alcohol Dependency a Disability?

If you are an Australian employer then you are probably familiar with the federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA). This act was passed to protect the rights of people with disabilities in education, housing, and in the purchase of goods and services. It has been the subject of hot debates over the years as to its application to those with drug and alcohol addictions. Human rights advocates have pushed to include addiction as a disability, whilst employers have expressed concern they will be forced to hire or retain addicts who jeopardise workplace safety.

This is certainly not an easy topic to discuss because passions run high as proven by public discussions. In 2003 an amendment named the Disability Discrimination Amendment Bill 2003 was proposed that would allow discrimination against drug addicts in employment practices. The amendment did not proceed after extensive public discourse.  Over the years, there have been many attempts to define drug dependence as a type of disability.  Though NSW and federal anti-discrimination laws make it unlawful to discriminate on grounds of disability, there is case law that has defined the relationship of addiction, disability and legal employment discrimination.

Stating the Case

The first Australian case that addressed the issue of addiction as a disability was actually first heard in November 2000.  The plaintiff Mr. Marsden was addicted to an opioid and was a member of a private club. There were incidents related to his addiction and he was ejected from the club. Mr. Marsden claimed his addiction was a disability and that he had been discriminated against when his club membership was revoked.  The complaint was first filed with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) which denied his claim, so it went to Federal Court. In summary, the Federal Court inferred, by remanding the case back to the HREOC, that drug dependency may invoke the protection of anti-discrimination law in some cases.

In New South Wales, a 2002 case involved a man, Mr. Carr, who worked for the city council as a labourer. He was a recovering heroin addict and was taking methadone. The employer embarrassed him by displaying his jars of methadone in front of co-workers and telling other staff members about Mr. Carr’s dependence. He was then unceremoniously transferred. He brought an action under the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 claiming his drug addiction was a disability. The city council claimed that he did exhibit the behaviours that constitute a disability. The Tribunal rejected this line of argument stating that a person able to lead a normal life whilst taking treatment may still be considered disabled despite no outward signs.

Concerns that the cases were being wrongly interpreted to mean that employers cannot terminate an employee addicted to illicit drugs led to the federal Disability Discrimination Amendment Bill 2003 mentioned previously. This bill allows lawful discrimination against those clearly addicted to illegal substances in a number of areas including employment, club memberships, sports and more. Public debate included arguments for and against the passage of the amendment with the main concern being it ignored human rights and allowed discrimination against drug users. In addition, this Amendment was seen as purely punitive and not in line with harm minimisation strategies, so it failed to proceed. It excluded people on methadone or buprenorphine or who are serapositive. Though it did not proceed, it was landmark legislation that started a still ongoing public discussion.

However, in response to the Marsden decision the NSW Government did pass a law allowing discrimination in the place of employment only against a person who is addicted to a prohibited drug. However, a person being effectively treated and able to complete job functions is still protected by the disability laws.

Addiction Does Not Bestow Rights

Sociologists and the medical community have determined that drug addiction is a brain disorder that may impair brain and physical function, but whilst in treatment it is the compulsion that has to be overcome. The difficulty lies in determining the level of impairment and if the compulsion or dependence actually has been overcome. If the medical community or the government cannot define this measurement then how are employers expected to do so?

The Human Rights Commission makes it clear that some cases of addiction will be covered by the DDA, but that the addiction does not bestow rights in itself. Discrimination must be proven and is intricately connected to the job requirements, unjustifiable hardship and a reasonableness element. Is it reasonable to expect the person to manage a job given an addiction or treatment course? Also, addiction to legal or illegal substances may lead to continual decline in physical and mental capacity meaning discrimination would apply as it would in any case where the impairment affected the ability to do the job. Substance use in itself is not a disability according to the federal law.

Interestingly there is legal recognition of addiction through the Social Security system. According to the Social Security Act, a person can collect a Disability Support Pension for dependence on alcohol or drugs if that dependence causes long work absences. In 2009 there were 143,000 treatments approved for people with substance addictions, but the agency will not say how many people in total receive pensions for addiction.

It is easy to be confused at this point as to how the law will interpret each case. It is not possible in limited space to explore all the case details. It is clear the employer should continue to focus on two things as the laws unfold: 1) workplace safety and adherence to policies and procedures, and 2) the employee’s ability to be productive and accurately manage the duties job required. By focusing on job performance and adherence to zero tolerance drug and alcohol policies, an employer does not have to be overly concerned with the question of whether an addicted employee or one in treatment is disabled. The random drug & alcohol testing program will tell the story as to whether a drug free workplace is being maintained.

Mediscreen consultants can provide service and guidance to employers interested in establishing a quality alcohol drug testing program. State-of-the-art testing equipment and Drug Testing Equipment provides the tools needed to maintain a drug free workplace.

Role of the Workplace in Drug Rehabilitation

There is no doubt that the majority of more advanced drug addicts would end their addiction on their own if possible, but the stark reality is that drug addiction is typically stronger than the will to stop. In addition to the physical and mental health issues suffered by many addicts, employment opportunities may also be severely limited because many companies and organisations are now instituting strategies drug and alcohol programmes and various Drug Testing Equipment requires that are part and parcel of the conditions for ongoing employment. Is Australia, many sectors now screen for drug and alcohol use, and in safety sensitive realms the use of drugs and alcohol is prohibited from a legislative and organisational perspective?

However, those who become addicted to illegal drugs after they have been hired may have options available to them because of the Employee Assistance Programmes of their employer and these can be affected and utilised so that an otherwise valuable (but substance using) employee can regain his or position as a valued member of the team.

Drug addiction may be a disability

According to the World Health Organisation, drug addiction and dependence “is as much a disorder of the brain as any other neurological or psychiatric disorder.” The report, launched by the WHO in 2004 also makes it plainly clear that recovery from addiction is indeed possible. By utilizing drug screening programmes, along with education strategies, employers can actually support this stance and create an ongoing win-win situation that maintains employee stability and workplace streamlining and also helps a valued but flawed individual rehabilitate.

Convincing addicts of treatment needs

Not every addict will admit their addiction and those that do may need to be convinced that they require outside help to put an end to their addiction. The use of a Drug & Alcohol Testing or drug screening programme can actually be a first-phase intervention that spells out certain realities to the using addict employee. He or she – if testing positive – may well be forced to face the very real ramifications of their drug addiction and usage. They may be confronted with the possibility of losing employment and stability – which may in turn cut through their denial and help them to see the reality of their behavior and plight. In this sense, the drug test can even work as a true lifeline to a new life.

Hands-off approach never beneficial

Some organisations and companies still take a hands-off approach to an employee’s addiction. This decision can in fact be costly in terms of poor work performance, workplace disruptions and the eventual loss of an otherwise qualified worker.

Employers can hand the addicted employee a lifeline in the form of help in ending their addiction. The first stage in this may well be the implementation of a true quality onsite screening programme at Drug Testing Australia.

Lessons Learned from the Roadside Test

Today Mediscreen considers some of the lessons learned from roadside testing and how certain facets of the roadside testing programmes that exist in Australia have been successfully adapted to an onsite screening regime.

All the states of Australia utilise roadside testing. Why? Because the vastness of the continent is connected by an extensive and complex network of highways and roads that are the main means of transport for recreation, business, organisations and families and communities.

Roads and vehicular use are synonymous with life in Australia and equates with the old adage have vehicle will travel.

Drug Testing Australia relies so heavily on vehicular use for most practical aspects of life and we do so in a manner that is far more intensive than many other countries. Compare travel distances in Australia as compared to the United Kingdom or Europe and it is evident that the distances and conditions here are uniquely extreme for a westernised nation.

While freight transport in the form of trains picks up a degree of the transport load, the use of heavy transport vehicles is still a major feature of industry and product transport nationally and state wide.

Random Testing

Random Workplace Drug Testing is the practice of screening vehicle drivers for indication of alcohol or drugs. This involves breathalysing with a hand held unit or the saliva testing of the drivers. The Police force in Australia performs “random roadside saliva testing to detect drivers travelling while affected by illicit drugs.” Testing aims to ensure road safety and reduce road accidents and death. It also effectively acts as a deterrent, the 2010 ROSITA study states.

According to the Federal Government’s full report on Drugs and Driving, safety approaches over the last 3 decades have reduced road trauma statistics. It has also contributed to debate on the use of illegal drugs behind the wheel and says that there is “increasing evidence that pharmaceutical drugs and illicit drugs impair driving ability and are thus a safety concern. Cannabis, methamphetamines and ecstasy appear to be the drugs of most concern from a road safety perspective… some pharmaceutical drugs – benzodiazepines in particular, are implicated in a considerable proportion of road accidents and trauma.”

Saliva Testing

Saliva testing is the preferred method of drug test used by Police. It is easy, quick, efficient and less invasive and allows for less disruption to the Police operations and less disruption to those being tested. It allows for a greater throughput in terms of testing ratios and numbers and is therefore a comparatively cost effective mode of bulk testing.

There is no doubt drug urine tests also have their place and are exceedingly important as an option in certain contexts and each have distinct advantages.

However, for a cost effective and efficient mode of screening that can detect recent use, saliva screening may be ideal.

Onsite Screening Programmes

The efficiency and adaptability factors of saliva tests, as well as the recent use detection factor, translate well to a workplace screening context. This form of Drug Alcohol Testing actually dispels with the possibility of identification of drugs through urinalysis, where the window of detection is longer and therefore usage may not be specific to recency of use. A positive urine sample may well indicate use, but the use may be in the distant past and this can cause issues for both employees who demand rights to privacy in relation to recreational use of substances on a weekend.

If your organisation requires Onsite Drug And Alcohol Screening, consider the options available through Mediscreen and discuss the possibility of a saliva screening programme. 

Educating Employees about Drugs and Alcohol

In the Australian workforce climate of 2011, many organisations now recognise that the use of drugs and alcohol can be an impediment to safe and sound business practices. Consequently they have implemented drug test requirements to safeguard against workplace safety compromises that are due to the onsite use of alcohol and/or drugs. May organisations also use workplace drug testing because of legislative requirements or a zero tolerance approach, such as that which occurs in the mining and the transport industries. Safety is of the essence, and minimising risk or accidents caused by the use of drugs and/or alcohol is of paramount importance. Private employers and large scale organisations have a wide range of options when developing drug alcohol testing policies that work in their specific industries. Mediscreen can in fact advise on the development of tailored onsite screening programmes suitable for all contexts.

Education efforts focus on health risks

One of the complementary efforts employed by organisations to safeguard against workplace substance and alcohol abuse is the use of education s to teach their employees about the dangers and health hazards of using drugs and alcohol. These complementary efforts are a vital part of a drug and alcohol programme but may only go so far, and without Drug & Alcohol Testing it is difficult to measure success.

For optimal outcomes, organisations and companies can also use a combination of efforts to greatly reduce the number of employees engaging in substance abuse. These may include such as:

• Pre-employment Drug Screening
• Random workplace drug testing
• Employee education programs
• Supervisor awareness training

These combined approaches and efforts may afford the greatest security for organisations who require a consolidated approach in the fight against drugs and alcohol onsite.

Early detection provides better atmosphere

Pre-employment screening is a fact of life with large organisations in the United States and may also be gaining in momentum here in Australia. The rationale behind pre-employment testing is one of early identification and deterrence with the view being that suing addicts and alcoholics are perhaps less likely to apply for jobs where pre-employment screening in company policy. When people who can’t pass a drug test are looking for a job, they often find their opportunities limited by the number of companies that require drug screening before making a job offer. Such a test, typically consisting of urinalysis, may in fact screen out and even deter those recent drug users who may have the qualifications on paper, but whose addiction patterns render them unsuitable for long term, reliable employment.

Work environment compromised by substance abuse

Employees, who go to work under the influence, or who are still suffering from the effects of their addiction can create an unsafe work environment or an environment that is extremely problematic or hostile to other employees and the employer. OH&S supervisors may be trained to keep an eye out for difficult or problematic employees who may exhibit the signs and symptoms of drug influence or addiction and this may in some cases lead to the individual employee being recommended for drug alcohol testing to determine their current alcohol and drug status.

Following legal guidelines for workplace drug testing

While private employers are pretty much unbridled in drug test requirements, they must be certain that the test and its results are handled in accordance with state and federal privacy laws. Chain of Custody paperwork is often a necessary feature of testing and screening procedures to safeguard against privacy breaches, and one company that has a fully comprehensive and thorough approach to privacy is Mediscreen.

Remember to activate a clear education programme about alcohol and other drugs at your workplace. IF you also require a thorough and expert onsite screening programme for your organization.

Marijuana, under the scanner

‘Mary Jane’ is one of the many street names for marijuana, which is by far the most commonly abused illicit drug in the world. Grass and hashish have been in the society since the early 16^th century. The introduction of jazz music caused in increase in the number of pot smokers. In the present era, the association of the word ‘cool’ with pot smokers, Rastafarians and hippies has prompted kids to smoke joints on a daily basis. It should be noted that marijuana may not be addictive but is definitely a stepping-stone to higher drugs like cocaine and heroin.

The Climb up the Ladder from Marijuana to Something Stronger

There is a hike in office employees who smoke joints during office hours or come to the office stoned. Marijuana might give you a high the first few times you smoke it but within a few months your tolerance increases and you stop getting those kicks you got the first few times and hence you start the search for something stronger. You keep smoking more joints per day until you are introduced to acid or heroin or cocaine or meth.

Once you’ve found that stronger drug, you would start getting heavier ‘kicks’ again but then again these kicks would be short lived and your tolerance to a drug like cocaine would increase as well and thus you’re stuck in a cycle where you simply administer more drugs in your body in the search for that same old buzz. When the drug in use is cocaine or heroin, you are at a great danger of losing your job, your loved ones and even your life.

Concern among Employers

The drug problem has touched big offices and various firms and employers are struggling to keep their offices safe and clean. Therefore, plenty of firms have created drug and alcohol testing policies as per the OHS (Occupational Health and Safety) system. These policies help the owners to run drug screening tests on a monthly basis. These tests help in understanding the loopholes in the company and help in finding out the reasons for low productivity of a particular department.

If an employee were found guilty of using drugs in excess, he would get proper help from his company. He might have to spend some time off work in a rehab centre or he might have to go through a short detox program in order to be fit for duty again. Detox programs and rehab plans help the addicts to break their habit and resume normal lives. The period in question depends on the nature of the drug and the duration of the habit.

What Doesn’t Kill You…?

If a person has been smoking joints on a daily basis for a whole year, he would not be spending a lot of time at a rehab or he might not even have to visit a rehab centre because marijuana not that strong a drug in nature. However if a person has been a cokehead for 6-8 months, he would have to go through a few weeks of rehab. The withdrawal symptoms would be more intense and he would have to struggle hard to keep his craving down but with medical help at a rehab centre, his addiction can end. The treatment process can extend more than a few months but once completed, can provide the ex-addict with a better and sober life.

How Fitness for Duty Policies are defined

Fitness for Duty as defined by major safety oriented organizations is the ability of an individual to perform a task completely, safely and effectively. This particular definition has been a major consideration to several organizations—both big and small—particularly to those which operate in ‘high risk’ environments such as the aviation, mining, transport and construction industries.

All organisations, which fall under these categories, strive hard to provide a work place that is safe, drug-free and efficient so that the employees can carry out their assigned tasks safely, completely and efficiently. To bring this statement to reality, there have to be policies (called Fitness for Duty policies) in place that stand as guidelines to both the employers and the employees in achieving the motto.

How Fitness for Duty policies is defined?

Fitness for Duty policies are usually defined by:

• Analysing the potential threats and to the extent those threats can affect the organization
• Listing of the various prohibited substances that contribute to those potential threats
• Implementation of various Alcohol Drug Testing procedures to identify the existence of these prohibited substances inside the individual system.
• Strategies to carry out the retention/exit procedures for an individual in case the tests show positive results.

Factors responsible for framing Fitness for Duty policies

There might be several fitness factors that degrade the performance and productivity of an employee impacting the company in the long run. And these factors might be different for different working environments. But there are three major factors that are common across all the working environments despite their nature of work. If proper Workplace Drug Testing Laws are put in place, controlling the mishaps at the work place can be as easy as grabbing a cheese.

What are those three major common factors?

Fatigue, Drugs and Alcohol are the three major common factors affecting the overall performance and productivity of an employee and these factors are common across all the working environments—be it mining, be it aviation, be it construction or be it even the transport environments.

How Fatigue?

Fatigue revolves round the concept of ‘lack of sleep’. Lack of sleep for an individual in an organization is generally caused due to excess working hours and the need to put extra effort in order to meet the stringent deadlines.

How Drugs?

Drug can be of two types—prescribed and non-prescribed. Excess intake of drugs can cause instability in the mind and slowly paralyzes the ability to take right decisions at the right time. The non-prescribed drugs can include marijuana, cocaine, black sugar and others that addicts an individual. Prescribed drugs too, unlike how they sound, when taken in excess can cause instability in the employee’s mind.

How Alcohol?

According to a research, 28 per cent of all the drivers who were killed in road accidents in 1997 died because of excess alcohol consumption. Similarly, alcohol in a workplace slows down the performance of the employee resulting in poor work quality, increased absenteeism and at times creates fights among the peers.

Employees under the influence of these factors may be unsafe both for themselves and for the organization. Proper policies to locate and reduce these hazards can ensure a secure ambience to those ‘safety oriented’ environments.