On June 14, Gov. Perry signed into law Senate Bill 21 which authorizes mandatory drug screening as a condition for the receipt of unemployment compensation benefits. Present at the signing ceremony were Sen. Tommy Williams, author of SB 21, and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.

The governor stressed that the state’s unemployment benefits should help people during “a difficult time in their lives” and not be used to fund addiction. “This bill protects the resources that should be reserved for those truly in need,” he adds.

SB 21 will apply to people who work in fields where mandatory drug testing is required. According to a news release, those fields are designated by the United States Department of Labor, and include occupations that regularly conduct pre-employment drug testing. Still, not everyone in those fields are going to submit to a drug test. An applicant will be asked to answer a questionnaire and a drug test will only take place if the applicant’s answers raise a red flag.

Sen. Williams regard SB 21 as one of the most important bills he’s carried in the 83rd Texas legislature. He reiterated that the bill is aimed at helping laid-off workers to readily go back to work if an opportunity arises.

“My goal is to send a clear message and to get people help they need. Sadly, many business owners have told me they have available jobs but simply can’t find workers to pass their company’s drug test,” Sen. Williams said.

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Rep. Cory Williams (D-Stillwater), for example, has been very vocal about his opposition for HB 1782, saying it wasn’t only too broad but also not well-defined. He’s happy, though, that Fallin is taking a stand on the issue, the Stillwater NewsPress reported.

HB 1782 allows emergency responders to perform lifesaving medication in prescription drug overdose scenarios. Meanwhile, HB 1783 prohibits refill for painkiller hydrocodone.

Capt. Kevin Woodward, of Payne County Sheriff’s Department, is confident there are positive aspects in the newly signed laws. But he also admits that their biggest challenge is proving abuse while prosecuting prescription drug abuse cases wherein the users has a legitimate prescription.

“They are abusing the doctor’s system,” Woodward said. “We actively pursue them when they come to our attention.”

According to a news release issued by Gov. Fallins’ office late the month, close to 10 percent of Oklahomans are abusing Rx medicines; more than 81 percent of drug-related deaths in the state are caused by prescription drugs. With the new laws, officials are hoping to save lives of more teens who are susceptible in Rx abuse.

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In 2012, the New Zealand Drug Detection Agency conducted 68,000 drug tests to identify workers who were using synthetic drugs.  So far this year, the agency has already processed 95,000 tests per the request of employers. The significant increase only shows just how big the problem is among the workforce in the country.

Yet despite the aggressive vigilance of employers to fight synthetic drug use, many workers still manage to use synthetic cannabis because there weren’t enough drug testing tools that can effectively detect all types of synthetic cannabinoids.

Chris Hilson, chief executive of the New Zealand Drug Detection Agency, admits that even though on-site drug testing has become a booming business, they remain challenged by the constant evolution of synthetic drugs. “It’s a bit like K2 – when it was banned they brought out another version on the shelf because it was a different analogue of drugs,” he told The New Zealand Herald.

The New Zealand Drug Detection Agency serves a wide range of industries, including supermarkets, timber mills, and market gardens. Their major concern, though, is that many laboratories admit not being able to confirm the presence of many synthetic cannabinoids from initial tests. So when an employee tests positive for synthetic marijuana use on his/her initial drug test there’s a chance it would return a negative result when analyzed in a laboratory. This situation could result to legal disputes especially when the employee was terminated.

But employers aren’t the only ones concerned with the continued proliferation of synthetic drugs. Law enforcement, public health officials, courts, and parents all agree that synthetic marijuana plays a significant role in the increasing number of crimes and cases of anti-social behavior happening in the country. 

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Since last year, the government has increased the funding support to JADCO to ensure the integrity of Jamaica’s anti-doping system, the Business Standard reports.

“We will continue to implement measures, through JADCO and other related agencies, that will foster dope-free sport at all levels,” said Headley while making her contribution to the 2013/14 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives last week.

Headley explained the money would mean additional drug tests for professional athletes to maintain clean competition in sports.

“The Government supports the principle that sport is the expression of one’s true self and the realisation of one’s own unique natural potential,” Headley added. “Being successful in sport requires the right attitude, practice, time and effort. The giving of one’s best is good enough.”

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It can be remembered that Gov. Scott issued an executive order in 2011 which sought mandatory drug testing for government employees. He later suspended the order after it was challenged in court by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the American Civil Liberties Union. Last year, a federal district judge ruled that the governor’s order violated the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment, which protect a person against unreasonable searches.

But while the federal court decided on May 29 that Gov. Scott’s drug testing order has gone too far, it allowed the state to identify employees that must undergo period drug  testing, Reuters reported.

The governor, for his part, wasn’t pleased with the decision and said he will continue to lobby mandatory random drug testing for all state workers.

“Many Floridians are required to take drug tests in their workplace and it is only right for state workers paid with taxpayer funds to be required to do the same,” Gov. Scott said in a statement. “We will go forward in arguing this case in both the appellate and trial courts in order to ensure that taxpayer funds are safeguarded from misuse by ensuring our state workforce is drug free.”

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According to The Daily Caller, laid off workers who are applying for unemployment benefits will be required to answer a state questionnaire which will determine if they need to be drug tested. Those who pass will have no trouble claiming their public assistance but individuals who fail their drug screening will lose their benefits. It was not yet clear, though, if those who fail the drug test will be given assistance to seek treatment.

Republican Senator Tommy Williams (The Woodlands), sponsor of the bill, believe the program will help maintain a competent workforce. Gov. Rick Perry is expected to sign the bill into law anytime soon.

Last year, Perry joined Williams in calling for similar legislation targeting Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) applicants. He said taxpayers’ money should not be used in tolerating substance abuse.

“Being on drugs makes it much harder to begin the journey to independence, which only assures individuals remain stuck in the terrible cycle of drug abuse and poverty,” Perry explained.  

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Over the years, drug testing has been a part of many correctional facilities across the country. One of its goals is to help criminal offenders stay crime-free and drug free. Even though time-consuming and quite expensive, people working in the criminal justice system consider the procedure a powerful tool in supporting the treatment and recovery of drug-abusing offenders, as well as reducing drug related crimes and curbing drug abuse in the community.

Drug testing in correctional settings not only targets arrestees or detainees, but also probationers, parolees and convicts. If an offender is released under state supervision, s/he may still be subjected to a drug testing which must return a negative result, otherwise it will be considered a violation of his/her probation or parole.

While offenders drug testing has become commonplace, a person under arrest but not convicted or charged with any crime cannot be forced to undergo a drug test unless a court warrant is obtained.  However, those who consent voluntarily can always get tested. Urine drug test is already a well established method even in jail settings because it is inexpensive, but saliva and hair drug tests are also used in some instances.

Implementing correctional drug test requires careful thought and analysis. The policy should specify the drugs that will be tested and the drug testing methods that will be used.   It should also specify the targeted drug testing population and the circumstances in which offenders will be tested.

In Minnesota, offenders in correctional facilities are drug tested when there’s “reasonable suspicion;” an offender’s serious violation of the offender disciplinary regulations may result in criminal charges; an offender tested positive on a previous test; or an offender is receiving certain types of medical treatment — to name a few.

In Massachusetts, drug testing offenders is in accordance with the state’s efforts to stop the abuse of all addictive substances and to curtail related criminal activities and social dysfunction. Part of its goal is to support substance abuse treatment intervention strategies. The state’s community corrections use random mandatory scheduling through the use of OCC Color Code. 

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Currently, the school district performs random drug test to all Act 93 employees, such as superintendent, assistant superintendent and other administrators. But now the board wants to include all teachers and support staff in the hope of preventing substance abuse among workers, The Morning Call reports.

According to the policy, the district will test in instances of “reasonable suspicion.” However, School Director Frank Addessi said such policy is no longer necessary because Bangor Area School is already in compliance with the state law in terms of drug testing under “reasonable suspicion.”

“We have an existing law that enables us to go after any employee,” said Addessi, who was the only one voting no.

In order for the policy to take effect, the teachers union will have to agree to it. It wasn’t mentioned if there would be any changes on the penalties that to be imposed on teachers who will test positive on drugs.

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Prensa Latina reports that the new law, which will take effect 6 months after publication, defines the drug testing procedure in two stages — the first is a socio-psychological exam and the second is the preventive medical examination.

The socio-psychological exam will be conducted by the school or university psychologist. Its goal is to identify students who are likely to use illegal drugs. It wasn’t mentioned, though, what kind of drug testing method will be used in detecting substance use.

Nikolai Burliáev, deputy head of the parliamentary majority party United Russia, believes that the new law will force students to steer clear from drugs and therefore save thousands of individuals.

The school drug testing program is voluntary in nature. Students under 15 years old will need their parents’ consent while those older than 15 can decide on their own if they want to get tested at school for drug use.

A report published by Russian Federal Service for Drug Control (FSKN) revealed that more than 1 million people have died because of drugs since 2001.

Last year, the head of Russia’s Federal Drug Control Service announced that about 8.8 million Russians are drug addicts, and over 18 million have tried narcotics at least once.

Russian lawmakers and public health officials are vigorously working on putting a stop on the growing number of drug users in the country by designing and passing anti-drug strategies through the next seven years. 

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Beginning May 21, parents can book an appointment with the Maryland Heights Government Center, where the police department is located, if they want their children drug tested. The program is free and open to teenagers aged 12 to 17, who must be accompanied to the testing by a parent or guardian.  

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the drug testing program is created in partnership with Lakeside Center, a treatment program for drug-addicted and troubled youths run by St. Louis County. Implementation funding comes from the federal drug forfeiture money as a result of judgments in court cases.

Maryland Heights Police Chief Bill Carson said the drug tests will be administered by the Lakeside Center staff. The police won’t step in or arrest teens who would test positive for drug use.

“If the child tests positive, the Lakeside staff will give the parents a resource packet. Okay, your child has tested positive for heroin or methamphetamine, here’s where you can go from here. Here’s some options you have as a parent. Everything is going to remain confidential between Lakeside and that family,” explained Carson, who considers the program another approach to combat drug abuse in the region.

This isn’t the first time an area police department in the state of Missouri has offered drug testing to the public. St. Louis County police have given away home drug testing kits at town hall meetings about heroin use. Even some school districts have distributed instant drug testing kits to families as a way to prevent substance abuse among children.  

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