Are You Prepared for Synthetic Drugs?

By now you’ve probably heard about synthetic marijuana and bath salts on the news. In fact, you may have even seen them for sale in convenience stores or online. These drugs are very frightening because of their unpredictable effects, and their easy availability. They also pose some unique difficulties for businesses because their chemical compositions are always changing. As a result, they may fall into a legal gray area and they are very difficult to test for. But, the effects of these drugs can be extreme (find more information at www.dea.gov) and present serious hazards to workplace health and safety. Prepare your workplace to address synthetic drugs by following these steps: Update Your Policy Although some of the compounds found in bath salts and synthetic marijuana are scheduled drugs, any given specimen may or may not contain those specific illegal substances. Even if an illegal substance is present, it would be very difficult to positively identify. As a result, policies whose definition of drug limits itself to “illegal or illicit substances” may not adequately cover synthetic drugs. It is important to include language referring to “use of impairing substances” in order to cover not only synthetic drug use, but inhalant use, as well. Have a Reasonable Suspicion Game Plan The typical course of a reasonable suspicion determination followed by a reasonable suspicion drug test will not adequately address the use of synthetic drugs. Just as the legality of synthetic drugs depends on certain chemicals being present, so does their ability to be detected on a drug screen. Additionally, most employers do not routinely test for synthetic drugs because they...