cannabisnews.com: U.S. Issues New Rules On Drug-Test Accuracy





U.S. Issues New Rules On Drug-Test Accuracy
Posted by FoM on December 16, 2000 at 07:37:01 PT
By Stephen Power, Staff Reporter Of The WSJ
Source: Wall Street Journal 
The Transportation Department unveiled rules intended to encourage more accurate drug testing of airline workers and other transportation employees and to ensure that workers have an opportunity to challenge results.But the rules -- which cover 8.5 million transportation workers nationwide, from truckers to pipeline operators -- don't go as far as some union officials would like in defining the procedures companies must follow in administering drug tests. 
The rules are also likely to draw fire from private drug-testing labs, whose trade group has slammed such proposals in the past as an attempted "public blacklisting" of the industry.In October, the Department of Health and Human Services said it was launching inspections of all 65 federally certified drug-testing labs that test transportation workers after a case involving a Delta Air Lines pilot raised questions about how samples were validated at a lab in Kansas. The airline initially fired the pilot and four flight attendants after LabOne Inc. reported their urine samples had been "substituted." After the lab's findings were questioned by pilots-union leaders, the airline offered to reinstate the employees because of doubts about the results.Transportation Department officials said the rules weren't related to the irregularities cited at LabOne or the Department of Health and Human Services inquiry. They said the rules are an attempt to tighten standards in areas of the drug-testing industry that have been loosely regulated until now.One department official noted that many employers started out running their own drug-testing programs in house. "Now, many outsource [drug testing] to third-party providers, and the whole nature of the way the programs are administered has changed," the official said. "There wasn't a whole lot written about what these persons should be doing."Among other things, the new rules would give transportation workers greater opportunity to challenge "validity tests," in which companies test workers' urine samples for evidence of substitution or adulterants, substances that conceal drug use. Currently, if workers fail a validity test, they can't demand a second test of the sample by an independent party; the new rules would allow them to do so.The rules would also direct companies not to contract with drug labs that have violated federal drug-testing guidelines. That provision has come under attack by the Substance Abuse Program Administrators Association, which represents drug labs and substance-abuse programs. The organization, which didn't return calls seeking comment Thursday, has questioned whether the Transportation Department has the authority to impose such penalties.Most of the new rules will take effect in August, although a few, such as the requirements on validity tests and penalties for companies that violate drug-testing rules, will take effect next month.Robert Morus, a spokesman for the Airline Pilots Association, said the new safeguards don't guarantee that workers whose drug-test results are proved false will be able to clear their names. He said some airline workers whose test results were later tossed out have been allowed to reapply for their old jobs, only to be placed on probation and accelerated drug-testing schedules when they returned.The new rules are "a mixed bag," Capt. Morus said. "There are some good things, but they didn't settle all the issues. ... There's a serious crisis in the [drug-]testing business, and they seem to not want to reveal how serious it is." Source: Wall Street Journal (US)Published: December 15, 2000Author: Stephen Power, Staff Reporter Of The Wall Street JournalCopyright: 2000 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.Address: 200 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10281Fax: (212) 416-2658Contact: letter.editor wsj.comWebsite: http://www.wsj.com/Related Article:DOT New Drug Test Rules To Protect Workers Rightshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8007.shtmlCannabisNews Drug Testing Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/drug_testing.shtml 
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Comment #2 posted by dddd on December 16, 2000 at 08:57:34 PT
The Inquisition
 Fortunatly,I am self employed,and I dont need to give myself any drug tests. After reading this article,I was appalled!I never realized how far out of hand this thing has become.Take this for example;" That provision has come under attack by the Substance Abuse Program Administrators Association,which represents drug labs and substance-abuse programs. The organization, which didn't return calls seeking comment Thursday, has questioned whether the Transportation Department has the authority to impose such penalties." In other words,you can lose your job from some unregulated,unstandardized,lab results,and the labs think it's unfair to be held responsible??? This is prepostorous! I'll bet you they have already made sure that a worker cannot sue a lab for damages from a faulty test. All this brings to mind,once again,,the term "Orwellian". Things dont look too encouraging when you consider;a)The shrubs gonna be on the hill,and he owes more than a few favors to the big money that bought him the oval officeb)The prison industry is definatly on the "big money" list,having numerous ties to Wall streetc)The pharmaceutical industry has a major interest in maintaining prohibition from two standpoints,the end of prohibition would mean they would not be able to rule the market,,and I'm sure they supplie all of the supplies necessary for these drug testing operations,and they probably own most of them too. These are extremely powerful,and influental entities......this is not a good thing. Unless you become more watchful in your states and check this spirit of monopoly and thirst for exclusive privileges, you will in the end find that the most important powers of govenrment have been given or bartered away, and the control of your dearest interessts have been passed into the hands of these coporations."                            --Andrew Jackson
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Comment #1 posted by ras james RSIFWH on December 16, 2000 at 08:18:30 PT
SHA LA LA LAND
YESTERDAY, "THE DONNA AND BARRY SHOW" WAS AGAIN AIRED ON C-SPAN...WHAT A SHOW IT WAS...STRAIGHT FROM SHA LA LA LAND WHERE MY-CAFE'S-FREE...IF THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE EITHER DID GENERAL McCAFFREY OR DONNA SHALALA. THEY BOTH ARTICULATED AND SAID "MARIJUANA" LIKE IT WAS THE "SECRET WORD" ON THE GROUCHO MARKS SHOW...I KEPT WAITING FOR THE PLUCKED DUCK TO FALL FROM THE CEILING. I WONDER IF THEY GET $25.00 EVERYTIME THEY SAY "MARIJUANA" LOUD AND CLEAR...PLUS AN EXTRA $10.00 WHEN IT'S MENTIONED WITH SOMETHING NEGATIVE LIKE "DRUNK DRIVING".  WELL THE HIGHLIGHT OF "THE DONNA AND BARRY SHOW" WAS WHEN A REPORTED ASKED THE "SCIENCE-BASED" BARRY EXACTLY WHAT INFORMATION HE GIVES YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT DRUG USE. PROFESSOR BARRY WHILE ROLLING CANDY OR PURHAPS A SUPPOSITORY BETWEEN HIS LOWER TEETH AND HIS LIP STATED QUITE ENTHUSIASTICALLY "WHY I TELL THE YOUNG CHILDREN IF THEY SMOKE POT, THEY'LL DIE OF THROAT CANCER." OF COURSE, IN SHA LA LA LAND REPORTS NEVER ASK FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS LIKE "NOW WHAT SCIENCE BASED STUDY IS THAT INFORMATION FROM?" THEN LIKE A MAGICIAN THE GENERAL SWITCHED HATS AND MORPHED INTO A CHILD PYSCHOLOGIST. DR. BARRY STATED, "OF COURSE THIS DOSEN'T WORK WHEN THEY GET TO THE EIGTH GRADE (i wonder why?) SO I TELL THEM WE'RE GOING TO ARREST YOU AND SHAME YOUR MOTHERS." WOW! NOW THAT'S A GOOD SOUND DRUG POLICY...SOLIDLY BASED ON HARD SCIENCE AND CHILD PSYCHOLOGY...NO WONDER WE'RE WINNING THE WAR...THE WAR ON COMMON SENSE AND TRUTH. GIVE ALL PRAISE AND THANKS TO JAH RASTAFARI; THE CONQUERING LION SHALL BREAK EVERY CHAIN.
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