It’s been referred to as the single largest bill to combat the drug crisis in the history of the United States. In 2017, there were 3,987 deaths linked to the use of opioids in Canada, which represents 11 lives lost per day. Today, more than a staggering 115 people in the United States die each day after overdosing on opioids.

Federal Bill H.R.6, which is referred to as the “Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act” was signed into law on Oct. 24, 2018, by President Donald Trump in part of the ongoing conflict to stop and prevent the opioid epidemic in the United States.

On Oct. 24, 2017, DriverCheck hosted Marijuana Unwrapped – Don’t Just Roll With It in Calgary. This was an educational seminar about the challenges of cannabis in the workplace. Over 230 people attended, with the purpose of leaving with a better understanding of how to handle and adapt to workplace concerns of cannabis.

DriverCheck is pleased to announce the sponsorship of RJS Motorsports and their driver, Bob Schultheiss in the 2017 Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup Series.

“Bob has been a long-time supporter of DriverCheck, and has made workplace fitness for duty one of his top priorities for the organizations he has represented,” Connor Page, Business Development Manager at DriverCheck explains.

Toronto is one of the busiest cities in the world and it’s not surprising that the city needs an extensive transit system. In recent history, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) ridership has increased year over year and 2015 saw the transportation system provide a record 538 million rides. That’s a lot of people—and a lot of people’s safety to be responsible for.

The TTC doesn’t shy away from this responsibility, though. Safety is a key component of the way the TTC conducts its operations. Of its seven strategic objectives, safety sits at the top of the list.

Today is National Day of Mourning; a day that commemorates workers, who have been killed, injured or suffered illness from workplace accidents, hazards, and incidents on the job.

Let’s take a moment today to think about those who have been injured, lost their lives and their families.

You may know someone who has been injured or lost their life on the job. Workplace tragedies are heartbreaking and have deeply impacted the lives of their family and friends.

Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced new legislation to legalize cannabis in Canada, which is expected to formally take place in 2018.

The new law would allow adults 18 and over to possess up to 30 grams of dried cannabis with the ability to purchase cannabis and cannabis oil from retailers. Age limits will be regulated at the provincial level. Additionally, Canadians will be allowed to grow up to 4 plants per residence for personal use.

We seem to be busier than ever these days, but time does not always allow people to keep their own health demands as important priorities. Many people do not get enough sleep to operate at their best, whether that is at work or in their personal lives. In addition, some workers feel pressured (either directly or inadvertently) to work beyond their normal limits in order to get things done.

There has been much controversy over the years stemming from random alcohol and drug testing in the workplace. Workers have questioned whether such tests violate their personal freedom, while businesses expressed concern that impaired employees affected both the company’s efficiency and the safety of their co-workers.

DriverCheck Inc. is proud to be celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer. To commemorate this achievement, we are running a four-part series that features the DriverCheck family as they each reflect on the past twenty years of business. In the second part of this series, we recently sat down with Maggie Dunnett, General Manager of DriverCheck, and daughter to Dr. Chris Page and Dr. Mary-Jean Page, the founders and owners of DriverCheck since 1996.

Substance misuse among medical professionals was back in the forefront recently after a Kitchener woman was charged with impaired driving and criminal negligence causing bodily harm for allegedly using drugs she stole from a patient while working as a home care nurse (see article Home-Care Nurse Charged After Allegedly Taking Drugs From Patient). While facing charges, the court ordered her to not act in a care capacity for anyone or for employment purposes.