Items Tagged with 'Drug use'

Elk Grove Village, IL – Two worker health groups have published guidance intended to help employers respond to marijuana use among the workforce.

Laws and attitudes are changing rapidly regarding medical marijuana, which has been legalized by nearly half of the states in the country. But each state’s law varies, leaving more questions than answers when it comes to employers with safety-sensitive positions.

Opioid painkillers increasingly are being prescribed to treat chronic pain, and their use among injured workers may be dangerous if the drug is unwarranted or misused. What should employers and workers know to help encourage safe use of opioids?

Prescription drug abuse is a rising epidemic that can significantly affect the workplace. Symptoms of prescription drug abuse can be hard to spot. However, if you suspect an employee is abusing or addicted to a prescription medication, contact human resources or your employee assistance program.

Cambridge, MA – Narcotics are frequently prescribed within the workers’ compensation system to help relieve pain among injured workers, and the prescribing frequency varies from state to state, according to a new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

Madison, NJ – Drug use among U.S. workers has declined substantially since the Drug-Free Workplace Act was signed into law 25 years ago, but use of certain drugs is on the rise, according to Quest Diagnostics, a provider of drug-testing services.