Maine’s Drug Problem
Maine is undergoing a drug abuse epidemic: overdoses occur at alarming rates; prescription drug rates per capita remain among the highest in the US, and ultra-concentrated THC marijuana has become recreationally legal.
Impairment at Work is Dangerous
While an employee’s right to use certain drugs may be protected, that does not include a right to use at work or be impaired on the job. Drug impairment endangers safety and productivity. Can your managers recognize the difference between legal use and illegal impairment? Do your policies accurately reflect the distinction? There are many common misperceptions about drug abuse in the workplace: Can a worker be legally impaired on their own prescription drug? Does Marijuana dangerously affect physical or mental processes?
Answers to Alcohol, Drug, and Cannabis Use Questions
This 4-hour training discusses these questions and more including current issues pertaining to alcohol, drug, and cannabis use, abuse, and impairment in the workplace, and suggests important considerations for employers. This training is designed with Maine’s medical and recreational cannabis laws in mind, as well as the Reasonable Suspicion requirements of 49 CFR 382.603 for the drug-free workplace and safety-sensitive positions.
Objectives include:
- 1-hour overview of alcohol impairment including signs and symptoms of abuse
- 1-hour overview of drug impairment including signs and symptoms of abuse
- An overview of current alcohol, drug, and cannabis use trends in Maine
- Strategies that can be done in reaction to perceived impairment
- Suggestions on what (and how) impairment should be documented
- Suggestions to keep the workplace safe without risking violations of employment laws
- A review of several real-life scenarios and effective responses
We will give you an overview of the process and demonstrate what works best and what to avoid. You will leave this workshop with an impairment observation checklist, a better understanding of recognizing impairment regardless of the cause, and strategies for reacting to impairment that helps reduce risk, including legal risk.
