1. What is the BC Council on Substance?
2. What does the organization do?
3. How does the BC Council on Substance Abuse do that?
4. How is the organization funded?
5. How long has the organization been around?
6. What is a drug free workplace?
7. How is a drug free workplace achieved?
8. What about my prescription medication?
9. What is the council’s stance on marijuana de-criminalization or legalization?
10. What is the difference between use, mis-use and abuse?
11. What is harm reduction?
Does the BC Council on Substance Abuse support a harm reduction strategy in the workplace?
1. What is the BC Council on Substance?
a. A non-profit organization that began in 1991 to help make safe workplaces from the effects of drugs and alcohol.
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2. What does the organization do?
a. The BC Council on Substance Abuse provides support to employers, industry and labour to create and maintain healthy and safe workplaces.
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3. How does the BC Council on Substance Abuse do that?
a. By offering courses and services to its member agencies and the larger public.
i. The Supervisor Course which is 8 hours in length
ii. The Employee Course is 1-2 hours in length
iii. The Young worker course is 1-2 hours in length
iv. A needs assessment tool is available to organizations that a trained facilitator will go through with supervisors and employees
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4. How is the organization funded?
a. Through membership fees and by providing courses and services to employers, labour and industry. The council also does some research projects funded through varying agencies.
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5. How long has the organization been around?
a. The organization was founded in 1991 and has existed under the names, Northern BC Business Council on Substance Abuse, Northern BC Council on Substance Abuse and since 2006, the BC Council on Substance Abuse.
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6. What is a drug free workplace?
a. This is an environment where no one uses alcohol, nicotine or street drugs in the workplace.
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7. How is a drug free workplace achieved?
a. Where the employer, labour representatives and employee are committed to safe workplaces through the four pillar approach
i. Drug Policy
ii. Supervisor Training
iii. Employee Training
iv. Employee and Family Assistance Programs
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8. What about my prescription medication?
a. Mood altering prescription drugs can only be used on the advice of a licensed physician after the appropriate safety issues have been addressed. Prescription medications should only be taken as directed by a physician licensed through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. Use of prescription drugs in safety sensitive positions may need further evaluation prior to a worker returning to work in the case of drugs such as analgesics, sedatives and other drugs which have effects on the central nervous system.
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9. What is the council’s stance on marijuana de-criminalization or legalization?
a. The BCCSA has no opinion on legislative matters. The only mandate of the BCCSA is the promotion of a drug free workplace.
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10. What is the difference between use, mis-use and abuse?
a. Some definitions might help answer this:
i. DRUG USE: This is the act of ingestion, injection or inhalation of a drug (note, Alcohol is a drug)
ii. DRUG ABUSE: This is the inappropriate use of drugs (and alcohol). By definition, any use of alcohol or drugs on the worksite is drug abuse.
iii. DRUG ADDICTION: This is a chronic relapsing illness characterized by what is known about the “3 C’s”. (Drug Dependency and Drug Addiction mean the same thing)
1. Loss of Control
2. Compulsion
3. Continued use despite negative consequences
iv. DRUG MISUSE: is a term that is no longer used.
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11. What is harm reduction?
a. Harm reduction is a term used in connection with an approach to management of people with Drug Addiction. Rather than focusing on rehabilitation the aim is to reduce the harm that comes with continued use. Examples are the provision of clean places for the addict to shoot up or the provision of clean needles to active drug users. Opponents to this approach point out that the corollary to harm reduction is harm facilitation and that these efforts are indistinguishable from the actions of someone who suffers from co-dependency.
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Does the BC Council on Substance Abuse support a harm reduction strategy in the workplace?
This depends on the substance in question and the safety sensitive/safety critical nature of the worksite, the work and the worker. For instance nicotine replacement therapy has no impact on job safety .However, strategies such as methadone replacement for heroin addiction would require specialist medical input from specialties such as addictionology and occupational health to ensure a safe workplace.
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