Drug & Alcohol Newsletter Issue 35
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Register Now for the 3rd Annual FTA D&A Program National Conference
Registration is now open for the 3rd Annual FTA Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference. Even though this two-day conference is free, individuals planning on attending must register as there is a limit on the number of attendees due to space. The conference will be held on April 30 and May 1, 2008 at the Sheraton Safari Hotel in Orlando, Florida. Information on conference registration and hotel accommodations is posted on FTA’s website at http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/DrugAndAlcohol. Registration does not include meals. Multiple sessions and facilitated panel discussions will run concurrently throughout the two days. A detailed agenda is available on FTA’s website. The following 90-minute sessions are the highlights of the conference.
In addition, two additional training sessions will be provided that require pre-registration and are on a first-come, first-served basis as space permits. The new Drug and Alcohol Program Manager (DAPM) Training is a 2½-hour class scheduled for the morning of April 30. A 2-hour Reasonable Suspicion Training will be held at two different times during the conference. The Reasonable Suspicion Training will satisfy 49 CFR Part 655 minimum training requirements. Certificates will be granted to all individuals that complete the 2-hour course.Sessions will be conducted by speakers from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Transportation Safety Institute (TSI), the Secretary’s Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance (ODAPC), FTA auditors, and FTA Drug and Alcohol MIS Program and Newsletter staff. In addition, sessions and panel discussions will be led by professionals from the DOT Drug and Alcohol testing industry including a Medical Review Officer, Substance Abuse Professional, Urine Collector, Breath Alcohol Technician, and representatives from State DOT’s and urban and rural transit systems. All speakers will be available at a scheduled time before or after their sessions to answer questions. FTA auditors, MIS Team members, and subject matter experts will also be available to review policies, provide technical assistance, and answer regulatory questions. The Sheraton Safari is holding a limited number of rooms at a special conference room rate of $99, available until March 29, 2008. Refer to the FTA Drug and Alcohol Conference when making your reservation (website: http://www.sheratonsafari.com). |
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| Regulatory Clarification | Page 2 | Winter 2008 | |||||||||
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| For Your Information | Page 3 | Winter 2008 | |||||||||
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| For Your Information | Page 4 | Winter 2008 | |
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| Q & A/Common Audit Findings | Page 5 | Winter 2008 | |||||||||||||
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| Rx and OTC Medications | Page 6 | Winter 2008 | |||||||||
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| For Your Information | Page 7 | Winter 2008 | |||||||||||||
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| Where to find…? 49 CFR Part 655, Prevention of Alcohol Misuse and Prohibited Drug Use in Transit Operations August 9, 2001 Federal Register Vol. 66, Pages 41996—42036 December 31, 2003 Federal Register Vol. 68, Pages 75455-75466 Primary Topic: One Page MIS Form January 9, 2007 Federal Register Vol. 72, Pages 1057-1058 Primary Topic: Revised Testing Rates Notice of Interpretation April 22, 2002 Federal Register Vol. 67, Pages 19615—19616 Primary Topic: FTA/USCG regulation applicability to ferry boats. 49 CFR Part 40, Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug Testing Programs Revised: December 19, 2000 Federal Register Vol. 65, Pages 79462-79579 Primary Topic: Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Program Revised Final Rule (49 CFR Part 40) July 25, 2003 Federal Register Vol. 68, Pages 43946-43964 Primary Topic: One-Page MIS Form January 22, 2004 Federal Register Vol. 69, Pages 3021-3022 Primary Topic: Expanded List of SAPs Technical Amendments August 1, 2001 Federal Register Vol. 66, Pages 41943-41955 Primary Topic: Clarifications and Corrections to Part 40; Common Preamble to Modal Rules Interim Final Rule November 9, 2006 Federal Register Vol. 69, Pages 64865-64868 Primary Topic: Specimen Validity Testing Final Rule Change August 23, 2006 Federal Register Vol. 71, Pages 49382—49384 Primary Topic: Expanded List of SAP Qualifications Visit the ODAPC website at http://www.dot.gov/ost/dapc/ for a list of DHHS-certified testing facilities, conforming products lists for Evidential Breath Testing Devices (EBTs) and other useful information. |
Produced by: FTA—Office of Safety and Security 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 4th & 5th Floors— East Building Washington, D.C. 20590 Edited and Published by: USDOT—John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center Kendall Square Cambridge, MA 02142 Written by: RLS & Associates, Inc. 3131 South Dixie Highway Suite 545 Dayton, OH 45439 Illustrated by: Dan Muko |
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| Who Should Be Receiving This Update? In an attempt to keep each transit system well-informed, we need to reach the correct person within each organization. If you are not responsible for your system’s Drug and Alcohol program, please forward this update to the person(s) who is and notify us of the correct listing. If you know of others who would benefit from this publication, please contact us at the following address to include them on the mailing list. This publication is free. |
RLS & Associates, Inc. 3131 South Dixie Highway Suite 545 Dayton, OH 45439 Phone: (937) 299-5007 Fax: (937) 299-1055 Email: rls@rlsandassoc.com |
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In addition, two additional training sessions will be provided that require pre-registration and are on a first-come, first-served basis as space permits. The new Drug and Alcohol Program Manager (DAPM) Training is a 2½-hour class scheduled for the morning of April 30. A 2-hour Reasonable Suspicion Training will be held at two different times during the conference. The Reasonable Suspicion Training will satisfy 49 CFR Part 655 minimum training requirements. Certificates will be granted to all individuals that complete the 2-hour course.
The drug testing random rate is based on the transit industry’s random drug testing positive rate for the preceding two years. The transit industry’s random positive test rate for drugs was 0.78% in 2006 and 0.792% in 2005. In 2006, the transit industry’s random positive test rate for alcohol was 0.13% up from 0.115% in 2005. The positive rate for drugs has remained below 1.0% for four consecutive years. The positive rate for random alcohol testing has remained below 0.5% since FTA testing first began.
Negative Dilute Policy
Kibbles and Bits and Pineapple are two street names for Ritalin®, a commonly prescribed medication used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for children and occasionally prescribed for treating narcolepsy. The medication is a stimulant stronger than caffeine, but less potent than amphetamines when taken as prescribed.
