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Updates
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Amphetamine Abuse Tied to Heart Attack at Young Age
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about 1 month ago
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 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Young adults who abuse amphetamines may be raising their risk of suffering a heart attack, a new study shows. Texas researchers found that among more than 3 million 18- to 44-year- olds hospitalized in their state between 2000 and 2003, those who were abusing amphetamines were 61 percent more likely than non-users to be treated for a heart attack. What's more, the rate of amphetamine-linked heart attacks rose by 166 percent over the 4-year study period. That compared with a 4-percent rise in cocaine-related heart attacks, the researchers report in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. "Most people aren't surprised that methamphetamines and amphetamines are bad for your health," lead researcher Dr. Arthur Westover said in a statement."But we are concerned because heart attacks in the young are rare and can be very debilitating or deadly," added Westover, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
Amphetamines stimulate the central nervous system and some are used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. But they are also frequently used illegally; one potent form of amphetamine, methamphetamine, is a growing problem in many U.S. cities. Cases of heart attack in young people have been linked to amphetamine abuse before, but the current study appears to be the first large-scale look at the epidemiology of the problem.
Westover and his colleagues used a statewide database to examine information on more than 3.1 million 18- to 44-year-olds discharged from Texas hospitals between 2000 and 2003. Overall, 11,011 of these patients (0.35 percent) were treated for a heart attack. The database also contained information on whether a patient had been diagnosed with any type of drug-abuse problem. The researchers found that patients with a diagnosis of amphetamine abuse or dependence were at increased risk of suffering a heart attack.
Amphetamines have various effects that could precipitate a heart attack, Westover and his colleagues point out. The drugs are well known to speed up heart rate and blood pressure, but they can also trigger spasms in the heart arteries and promote blood clotting. In people who already have "plaque" deposits in their heart arteries, amphetamines may cause a plaque to rupture, which can then lead to a heart attack.
Besides the risk to individual amphetamine users, Westover said, "we're also concerned that the number of amphetamine-related heart attacks could be increasing."We'd rather raise the warning flag now than later," he added. "Hopefully, we can decrease the number of people who suffer heart attacks as the result of amphetamine abuse.
SOURCE: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, July 2008.
Learn more: www.nortonmedical.com
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New Urine Drug Test Ruling
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2 months ago
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 Summary of Final Rule for Specimen Validity Testing Published in today's Federal Register is a Department of Transportation Final Rule Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug Testing and Alcohol Testing Programs In summary. This Final Rule makes it mandatory for laboratories to test all DOT specimens for specimen validity (i.e. adulterants and urine substitutes) and for laboratories to follow all Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS) protocols for doing so.
Observed collections will afford less privacy in order to guard against employee use of items designed specifically to beat the testing process. Directly observed collections will continue to occur only when there is a specific reason to believe that an employee may be attempting, or have sufficient reason, to evade the testing process. Items such as prosthetic devices designed to carry clean urine will be checked for by observers with both male and female donors. The observer will have the employee raise and lower clothing, and then put it back into place for the observed collection. Observed collections will now be required, rather than optional, for all return-to-duty and follow-up drug testing.
In an effort to thwart those who would manufacture products designed to adulterate specimens, the Final Rule will no longer have easy-to-follow tables and charts outlining the adulterants for which laboratories are testing and the scientific cutoff levels at which laboratories are testing them. Definitions in the Final Rule have been changed to harmonize with the HHS.
During an invalid result Medical Review Officer (MRO) review, an employee admission of adulterating or substituting a specimen is now a refusal to test. Pursuant to MRO requests, the Final Rule will close the potentially endless loop on invalid specimen results; and employees requiring negative results [for example, pre-employment tests], when they have medical reasons for providing invalid results, will be able to obtain them through medical evaluations to rule out signs and symptoms of drug use.
The Final Rule will also streamline and simplify the potential myriad of complicated laboratory-confirmed and MRO-verified drug test results. The Final Rule requires drug testing laboratories to report to DOT semi-annual statistical summaries on their entire DOT testing. The Final Rule effective date is August 25, 2008.
Click To View PDF of the Federal Register's DOT Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs
Call: 1-800-243-7669
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Highway Safety Urges DOT to Rethink School Bus Seat Belt Funding Stance
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2 months ago
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The GHSA released its response to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on school bus safety. In the letter, the Association indicated it was primarily concerned about the funding of the proposed changes. The part of the proposal that concerns GHSA is the section that applies to large school buses. According to the proposed rule, school districts that decide to add seat belts could apply for existing federal highway safety grant funds to cover the cost of the additional safety equipment. While this use of grant funds is not new, the additional focus on the issue may cause states to be pressured to spend federal highway safety money for this purpose to the detriment of many competing highway safety needs.
The greatest dangers to children, as evidenced by years of data from the Fatal Analysis Reporting System are the areas around school buses and on the way to and from school. To address this, the DOT and states have wisely implemented engineering improvements as well as the Safe Routes to School program. As the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has argued in the past, school buses are an incredibly safe form of transportation. This is demonstrated in each state's crash data.
Currently, GHSA members ensure that federal highway safety funds are spent in areas that will have the most lifesaving benefit. Largely these are directed to critical occupant protection, drunk driving and speeding programs. The funds are limited and could be quickly devoured if a state is pressured to use its federal funding for seat belts on school buses. Using Maryland as an example, the state receives approximately 3.3 million dollars each year for its basic behavioral highway safety program. The state could spend that full amount on the school bus improvements and barely meet the need.
States are increasingly developing data-based highway safety programs that show the most likelihood of reducing fatalities. Funding seat belts on school buses does not meet that criterion. GHSA urges DOT to rethink this position and if it moves forward suggests Secretary Peters ask Congress for a new funding source in the next highway reauthorization.
To view the DOT's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, visit www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
GHSA's comments on the proposal are posted here. The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. GHSA provides leadership and representation for the states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy and enhance program management. Its members appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans.
Contact GHSA at 202.789.0942 or visit www.ghsa.org.
SOURCE Governors Highway Safety Association Jonathan Adkins of the Governors Highway Safety Association,+1-202-789-0942, jadkins@ghsa.org
Learn more about drug testing and alcohol testing regulations as set by DOT at Norton Medical Industries
Call: 1-800-243-7669
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Drug and Alcohol Testing – An effort to strongly discourage substance & alcohol abuse in the workplace
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4 months ago
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 Fast paced lifestyles, work pressures, looming deadlines, strained professional or personal relationships, junk food addiction – an endless list of all these undesired elements that can lead to hyper tension and stress. To alleviate these, it is possible that individuals turn to a quick fix-it, mostly drugs and alcohol that seem to make a person forget all their worries. But forget about being stress busters, these actually contribute to creating far more serious problems.
Drug and alcohol addiction is a very serious matter. It can cost not the individual but also
those around him/her. Especially, performing safety-sensitive duties while under the influence of drugs or alcohol can have serious and often disastrous consequences. Imagine a pilot or a heavy motor driver flying or driving while consuming alcohol or banned substances! Scary thought isn't it?
To avoid these circumstances and ensure safety the Federal government DOT (Department of Transportation) and its agencies (FAA, FMSCA, FRA, FTA, USCG, PHMSA and others) have strict rules and regulations in place for mandatory drug and alcohol testing. Employers are actively implementing drug and alcohol testing program, educating supervisors and workers alike on the effects and consequences of substance & alcohol abuse to ensure a safe, secure, productive and a healthy working environment
 Norton Medical Industries is fully committed to doing its best to eliminate drug & alcohol abuse in workplaces. Since 1989, Norton has been specializing in drug testing & alcohol testing programs that comply with DOT and FAA regulations. From Pre-employment drug testing, Random Drug testing, Drug screening servicesas well as worker & supervisor education, Norton Medical offers comprehensive and expedient testing programs all the while ensuring complete confidentiality and privacy of the employees while conducting testing procedures.
Consumption of drugs or alcohol can affect not just you but also those around you… stay away from drugs & alcohol, ensure a clean and safe working environment.
Call: 1.800.243.7669
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