Drugs

New York — A new law in New York City bans employers, labor organizations and employment agencies from testing job applicants for marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols, or THC – the active ingredient in marijuana.

Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta made his first appearance before the House Education and Labor Committee at a May 1 hearing exploring his department’s “policies and priorities.”

Impairment at work, whether from alcohol, marijuana or opioid use, is “a major roadblock to workplace safety, and the effects are more common than you think,” the National Safety Council says.

Washington — The rate of overdose deaths among workers rose 24% annually over a recent six-year period, with heroin and opioids the most common contributors, results of a new NIOSH study show.

Arlington, VA — Concerned about truck drivers sharing the roads with passenger vehicle drivers who are under the influence of marijuana in states where recreational and medicinal use is legal, the American Transportation Research Institute has released a report detailing methods to identify and deter impaired driving.

Washington — The Department of Transportation has issued a final rule, effective immediately, that makes minor technical corrections to regulations governing drug tests for workers in safety-sensitive jobs.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has created a webpage that outlines specifics of the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, a national online database intended to provide – in real time – the names of commercial motor vehicle drivers who have failed drug and alcohol tests.

Chicago — The rate of positive drug tests for illicit substances among U.S. workers in 2018 reached a 14-year peak, with marijuana playing a significant role, according to the annual Drug Testing Index from lab services provider Quest Diagnostics.

Rapid legalization, increasing use and conflicting laws are a confusing blend for employers and safety professionals attempting to set workplace policies about marijuana.

The National Safety Council reported in January that, for the first time on record, the odds of dying from an unintentional opioid overdose in a given lifetime (1 in 96) are greater than the lifetime odds of dying in a motor vehicle-related crash (1 in 103).