Workplace Drug Testing: An Overview of the Current Situation
Journal Title: Journal of Toxins - Year 2016, Vol 3, Issue 1
Abstract
Background: Almost a quarter of the adult population in the European Union are estimated to have used illicit drugs at some point in their lives. Since these substances can be found at home, on the road, in leisure, it can be assumed that also exist in the workplace, even if they are more difficult to detect. In the workplace, psychoactive substances use may have important implications for workers, thus affecting the tasks to be carried out in their work environment. Objective: This article reviews how the different countries implement the workplace drug testing (WDT) as necessary tool in order to play a deterrent role on the abuse behavior. Discussion: At a European level there is no specific legislation on drug testing at the workplace. WDT is performed on a much smaller scale than in the United States, though it is on the increase. It is also important to discriminate between workers under the influence of these substances at work than those who consume regularly but are not under the influence of drugs at work. In conclusion we can say that there is a growing interest in WDT, but the costs and benefits that these controls may represent remain unknown.
Authors and Affiliations
Isabel M. Moreno
Do Diesel Exhaust Exposure andSmoking Affect Health of Employees at A Logistic Company in Western Australia?
Objective: This study aimed to introduce a semi-quantitative approach and assess historical occupational diesel exhaust exposure, tobacco smoking and related health effects in workers in Western Australia. Materials and...
Geographic Variation in the Peptidome Fraction of the Venom of Naja naja naja (Indian Cobra) Species as Analysed by MALDITOF; Implications on Antivenin Development
Purpose: Several studies have shown that the commercially available antivenoms are ineffective in neutralizing the toxic and lethal effects. In this study, we aimed at analysing the comparative peptidome fractions of ven...
Sticholysin II Identifies Intracellular Lipid Deposits in Niemann Pick C Fibroblasts
The cells of patients of Niemann-Pick C disease are characterized by the presence of sphingolipids and cholesterol atypical intracellular storages. The existence of a cause-effect relation between the composition, nature...
Development of a New Method for the Determination of Manganese, Cadmium, Mercury and Lead in Whole Blood and Amniotic Fluid by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
Environmental exposure to metals among women, revealed their adverse effects on pregnancy. During this stage, blood levels of some metals increase so research on heavy metals transference from the mother’s blood to the d...
Isolation and Characterization ofa Myotoxic Fraction from Cerastes Vipera Snake Venom
The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological effects of crude Cerastes vipera venom and some phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ) activity containing fraction (CV-PL-F 4 ). Furthermore, the current study examined the antim...