Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I I N O. I X H E A LT H Y B U S I N E S S 10 A combination of the opioid crisis and changes in Maine's marijuana laws are a major rea- son more Maine employers than ever are drug testing. e Maine Department of Labor's Drug Testing Report, released in March, shows that Maine employ- ers, both public and private, have been approved to test for drugs. Of those, are approved for applicant testing, for probable cause testing and for random testing. e report emphasizes that it only includes those employ- ers who come under state drug testing rules — those that come under federal mandatory testing rules, including thousands of truck drivers, weren't included in the survey. e number of employers who test for drugs has risen steadily from in , the rst year the department collected the information. In , employers tested for drugs. While there isn't one clear reason for the rising number of employ- ers who test for drugs, "we see spikes in the numbers when drugs are in the news more and employ- ers respond to those trends," says Julie Rabinowitz, director of policy, operations and communication for the Maine Department of Labor. "Certainly the opioid epidemic has people concerned, and now the legalization of marijuana." For many, drug testing is part of everyday work life Marijuana legalization and opioid crisis put employers on high alert • • • S O U R C E : Maine Department of Labor A P P L I C A N T P RO B A B L E C A U S E R A N D O M / A R B I T R A RY tests % positive tests % positive tests % positive Total Tests 19,956 24 1,040 Total Positive Results 962 4.8% 13 54.2% 44 4.2% Cannabinoids 877 91.2% 7 53.8% 34 77.3% Amphetamines 37 3.8% 3 23.1% 3 6.8% Opiates 17 1.8% 1 7.7% 1 2.3% Cocaine 15 1.6% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% Methadone 7 0.7% 0 0.0% 1 2.3% Alcohol 4 0.4% 1 7.7% 0 0.0% Barbiturates 3 0.3% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% Benzodiazepines 2 0.2% 1 7.7% 2 4.5% While less than of those tested for drugs in tested positive for opioids, including heroin, and they represent only . of all positive tests, the impact of that type of drug has been deeply felt in Maine. Opioids killed Mainers in and drug abuse and addiction is associated with half of the state's crime, according to law enforcement estimates. e numbers show between and of those who take applicant and random drug tests test positive. Of those positive tests, . in were for marijuana, up from . in . Of Maine's , employers, test applicants for drugs, are approved for random testing and are approved for probable-cause testing. Since some are approved for more than one type of testing, overall are allowed to test for drugs under state law. Some answered the labor department's survey. As legislators grapple with nding a way to deal with recreational mari- juana, not only in the workplace, but in the marketplace, the state's employers are beginning to focus on impairment recognition, rather than drug test- ing. Employers, legislators and others involved in workplace health issues say that workplace safety is the overriding issue where drug use and abuse is con- cerned, and the state's complicated drug testing laws make it di cult for many employers to use them e ectively. "With the opioid crisis and now the legalization of marijuana, the potential for people being impaired on the job is increasing, endangering not only the worker taking the drug, but also coworkers and clients," says Gov. Paul LePage in a news release tied to the report. "Maine must pro- vide employers the appropriate tools to retain valuable workers and help people in recovery [get] back into the workforce, discourage the use of dangerous drugs like opioids, properly regulate marijuana and maintain a safe work environment." "We're trying to make it easier for employers," state Rep. Amy Volk, R-Scarborough, says. She's on the Labor, Commerce, Reasearch and Economic Develoment Committee, which is try- ing to hammer out legislation that will untangle drug testing policy and focus on impairment recognition in the work- place. She says most of the employers that committee members have discussed the legislation with "are ne with it." As it stands, Maine's drug testing law requires employers with more than employees to have an employee assis- tance program in place that conforms to all the state regulations for such SUBSTANCE ABUSE TESTING BY MAINE EMPLOYERS, 2016 SUBSTANCE ABUSE TESTING OVERVIEW, 1995–2016 TESTING EMPLOYERS, 1995–2016 Total Tests Total Percent Positive 0 5K 10K 15K 20K 25K 30K '16 '15 '14 '13 '12 '11 '10 '09 '08 '07 '06 '05 '04 '03 '02 '01 '00 '99 '98 '97 '96 '95 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995

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