Marijuana use results in roads and highways that are less safe and employer workplaces that become more dangerous and riskier.
Washington, DC (PRWEB) August 25, 2015
The Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA) is pleased to announce its newest initiative – The Marijuana Education Outreach Fund. As states move forward with various forms of legalized marijuana, whether legalized for medical or recreational use, employers seeking to maintain a safe and drug-free workplace are forced to face new challenges. Many employers are unsure of how safe marijuana is and whether they can continue to test for marijuana use and take corrective actions against employees that test positive.
“Marijuana use hurts employers,” said Phil Dubois, DATIA Chairman of the Board of Directors. “Marijuana use results in roads and highways that are less safe and employer workplaces that become more dangerous and riskier.”
DATIA has been working on developing educational information for employers to address these questions and more, but needs assistance via funding to effectively bring such projects and future efforts to fruition and to get the information out to those employers.
DATIA is pleased to announce the first donor to the fund.
“Advance Screening believes in an employers' right to a safe and drug-free workplace and is proud to support such an important initiative," said Mike Hazen, owner of Advance Screening in Tampa, FL and the fund’s first contributor.
Donations to the Marijuana Education Outreach Fund will be used to create educational material for employers and advocate for their rights to a safe and drug-free workplace.
As part of this, funds will be used to research and provide employers with information regarding:
- How marijuana use truly impacts employers and their applicant pools
- Risks associated with lack of consistent policy enforcement
- How to comply with state laws concerning legalized marijuana, while maintaining an effective drug testing program
“We believe that by creating educational tools, such as powerful visual stories of the impact caused by substance abuse, we can inspire positive change,” said Jo McGuire, DATIA Board Member and Co-Chair of Marijuana Outreach Committee.
As a professional and/or organization dedicated to maintaining safe and drug-free workplaces, we are asking for your support of this important initiative. Donors receive public recognition and an exclusive invitation to meet with DATIA’s leadership working on this important project.
“Advocacy and education are the most important pieces of what we do at DATIA,” said Rene Schofield, DATIA Board Member and Co-Chair of Marijuana Outreach Committee. “The dollars contributed to the Marijuana Education Outreach Fund will allow us to provide stronger outreach on the marijuana issues that affect workplace safety. There is nothing more important than success through safety.”
Schofield and her company, TSS, Inc, in Ketchikan, Alaska are the second to contribute to the fund.
Current Marijuana Education Outreach Fund donors include:
Advance Screening
C.H.A.S.E., LLC
Five Minutes of Courage
Houston Medical Testing Services, Inc.
MBI Energy Services
TSS, Inc.
To find out more, or to donate to the Marijuana Education Outreach Fund, please visit http://datia.org/datia-advocacy/marijuana-outreach-fund.html.
About DATIA
Founded in 1995, the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA) is a 1,500+ member industry trade association representing the full spectrum of drug and alcohol testing providers including laboratories, collection sites, C/TPAs, BATs, MROs, SAPs, employers, and testing device manufacturers. DATIA’s mission includes working closely with key policy makers to ensure that the interests of the industry are heard and taken into account when changes in drug and alcohol testing rules are proposed. DATIA works to ensure that these provide for safe and effective drug free workplaces. DATIA further works to educate the industry on current standards of service and regulatory policies and procedures.