Workplace Drug Research Articles

Workplace drug use, emotion regulation, and perceived family income among Nigerian employees

This study examined workplace drug use, emotion regulation, and perceived family income among employees in Uyo, Nigeria. Using an analytical cross-sectional design, 454 participants were purposively and randomly selected with mean age of 35.41 (SD = 8.27) years. Data from two standardized instruments—emotion regulation questionnaire and drug use disorders identification test—were analyzed by means of hierarchical regressions, independent subject t-test, Pearson correlation, and descriptive statistics. Emotion regulation correlated significantly and was a major contributing factor to workplace drug use: Employees with high level of emotion regulation reported less workplace drug use whereas those who reported more workplace drug use had low level of emotion regulation (r = −0.23; p < 0.05). However, perceived family income showed no significant difference in workplace drug use [t (452) = −0.35, p > 0.05]. A significant joint prediction was observed between emotion regulation and perceived family income on workplace drug use, F (2, 453) = 12.73, p = 0.00 level of significance. Regulation is a key determining factor to emotional disturbances and such abnormal coping strategies as drug use. Understanding the trends in workplace drug use and providing corresponding motivation and incentives as and when due is capable of maintaining and sustaining positive emotions among employees.

Curb Heroin In Plants (C.H.I.P.): Revisiting a Mid-1970s Intervention Into Workplace Heroin Addiction Created and Led by Detroit Autoworkers.

This article analyzes archival records to revisit Curb Heroin In Plants (C.H.I.P.), a public health intervention focusing on drug dependence that was created and led by Detroit, Michigan, autoworkers during the mid-1970s. Responding to widespread heroin use in Detroit auto plants, C.H.I.P. combined methadone maintenance with counseling on and off the job to treat heroin dependence while supporting autoworkers in continuing in employment and family life. Although C.H.I.P. ultimately failed, it was a promising attempt to transcend medical/punitive approaches and treat those with substance use disorder in a nonstigmatizing way, with attention to the workplace dimensions of their disorder and recovery. I argue that revisiting C.H.I.P. speaks to current public health debates about the intersection between the workplace and harmful drug use and how to create effective interventions and policies that are mindful of this intersection. For historians, C.H.I.P. is a valuable example of the crucial role of workplace actors in the early war on drugs and of an early methadone program that was not strongly concerned with crime reduction but incorporated social externalities (specifically job performance) to measure success.

Recent Judicial Decisions of Interest to Energy Lawyers

This article summarizes a number of recent judicial decisions of interest to energy lawyers. The authors review and comment on the past year’s case law in several areas including contractual interpretation, employment and labour law, Aboriginal law, constitutional law, intellectual property, bankruptcy and insolvency, and selected developments relating to summary judgments. Specific topics addressed include the appropriate standard of review, workplace drug and alcohol testing policies, appellate intervention in commercial arbitration, the appropriateness of granting summary judgments, valuation of dissenting shareholders’ shares, a duty to consult, the applicability of municipal bylaws when they conflict with federal legislation, and the rights and obligations of oil and gas companies placed into receivership. For each case, some background information is given, followed by a brief explanation of the facts, a summary of the decision, and commentary on the outcome.

Evaluation of a workshop to address drugs and alcohol in the workplace

PurposeRisky alcohol and other drug (AOD) use is ubiquitous in some workplace cultures, and is associated with considerable risks to health, safety and productivity. A workplace drug and alcohol first aid program was developed to support supervisors and managers to recognize and respond appropriately to AOD problems, increase knowledge of AOD and reduce the stigma associated with AOD. The purpose of this paper is to undertake an evaluation to assess the program’s efficacy.Design/methodology/approachA self-report survey was administered to program participants before (T1), immediately after (T2) and three months following program completion (T3). Changes in alcohol/drug-related knowledge, role adequacy, motivation and personal views were examined using repeated measures ANOVA.FindingsA total of 109 participants took part in the program, with only 26 completing scores at all three time points. Mean scores increased significantly (p<0.05) between T1 and T2 for knowledge (12.7–16.0), role adequacy (11.8–17.4), motivation (9.7–10.4) and personal views (9.0–9.6). Significant improvements were maintained at T3 for knowledge (15.1) and role adequacy (17.3).Practical implicationsDrug and alcohol first aid programs offer a potentially valuable initiative to improve the knowledge, skills and understanding of managers and supervisors in tackling workplace AOD risks, associated stigma and improving help seeking.Originality/valueWorkplace programs for managers can facilitate organization-wide responses to the reduction of AOD-related problems, increase implementation of appropriate policy and interventions, minimize associated harms and stigma and reduce negative imposts on productivity and profit.

Rapid analysis of cocaine and metabolites in urine using microextraction in packed sorbent and GC/MS.

Cocaine is still one of the most abused drugs worldwide and, as such, it is often screened for in driving-under-the-influence or workplace drug - testing scenarios. A large number of samples have usually to be processed in those situations, and this requires fast and simple extraction procedures for the detection and quantification of the drugs. The present work describes an ultrafast and fully validated procedure for the simultaneous detection and quantification of cocaine and its two main metabolites, ecgonine methyl ester and benzoylecgonine, in urine using microextraction by packed sorbent and GC-MS. A small sample volume (200μL) was used, and a fast extraction procedure together with a microwave-assisted derivatization (800W, 2min) allowed the quantification of all analytes in a range of 25 to 1000ng/mL (r 2 > 0.99). Inter-day precision revealed coefficients of variation (CVs) lower than 10% for all analytes at the tested concentration levels, with an accuracy within a ±7% interval, with the exception of EME's lowest calibrator (±17%). Intra-day CVs were lower than 15% at the studied concentration levels, with a mean relative error within a ±13% interval. Recoveries ranged from 14.5 to 37.2% (EME), 67.0 to 83.3% (cocaine), and 24.6 to 43.5% (BEG), allowing the limits of detection and quantification to be set at 25ng/mL for all compounds. Graphical Abstract Schematized analysis of cocaine and metabolites in urine by MEPS- GC/MS.

Improving nurses' therapeutic attitude to patients who use illicit drugs: Workplace drug and alcohol education is not enough

This study examines the impact of workplace drug and alcohol education on nurses' therapeutic attitude to patients who use illicit drugs. It builds on a study of the generalist nursing workforce in the Australian Capital Territory in 2003, which showed that the interaction of role support with workplace drug and alcohol education facilitated nurses' therapeutic attitude. This paper explores this interaction in detail, showing that workplace education has no independent association with therapeutic attitude and that an effect from education only occurs when nurses have at least a moderate level of role support. Nursing workforce development needs to focus on strategies that provide role support for nurses as they work with this clinically challenging patient group. Without the ready availability of someone in the nurse's clinical field to advise and assist them, efforts to increase nurses' knowledge and skills are wasted.

Using Published Arbitration Decisions to Develop Teaching Examples, Cases and Exercises

A sample of arbitration decisions are published every year on a wide variety of topics including workplace fighting, theft, insubordination, attendance problems, alcohol or drug abuse, and sexual harassment. These published cases provide interesting, timely, and complex examples of actual events. Using this material as a basis, unique, realistic cases and exercises can be developed to focus on many different workplace topics.