Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Employee Drug Testing

Sunday, May 11th, 2008

Employee drug testing is a highly popular practice in corporations, especially in the USA. It is used to filter out job applicants who may be drug users. However, it has also come under criticism from civil liberty groups who argue that it is not criminal to be an occasional drug user. Drug testing in schools and prisons is also commonplace.

Drug Testing Services

Drug and narcotic testing is big business and there are many established laboratories offering an affordable service that even small companies can obtain.

The basic service is urine drug testing which will look for metabolites of narcotics in the urine. Because metabolites are passed in a number of days then hair tests are also becoming more common. These detect microscopic amounts and even if the person shaves their head, body hair can be used instead.

Controversy

There is much controversy over the use of tests in the first place. However, with urine drug testing there is an implicit bias towards users of soft drugs such as marijuana. Unlike hard drugs like cocaine and heroin which cannot be detected in urine within a few days of ingestion, marijuana metabolites can be detected for up to 30 days.

Hence, there is much argument against urine tests in particular because they are more likely to punish those who present less of a problem. This is one reason why hair tests, despite being more expensive, are becoming more popular.

The Rise Of Ways To Cheat A Test

Almost as big as the employee drug testing market itself, is the market for how to avoid being caught on a drug test. These products cater mainly to the urine testing market and include many novel methods including substitution of urine and ingested supplements. Some people will even go so far as to inject someone else’s urine directly into the bladder.

Motion Sickness Cures – Drugs and Natural Remedies

Saturday, May 10th, 2008

Motion sickness is hell for those who suffer from it. It means having to avoid some forms of transport or needing to endure a long period of feeling sick and having nausea. You need not suffer anymore because there are so many different types of motion sickness cures available. But let’s first understand why you get sick.

Cause Of Motion Sickness

The human body was not designed for modern transport. When you see a fast moving road or are buffeted around at sea, then the inner ear (which maintains your sense of balance) has a conflict with what you see and the result is the feeling of nausea and severe motion sickness.

It’s this relationship and conflict which must be overcome for you to feel better.

Scopolamine Patch

This is proving to be a very popular motion sickness rememdy. It is placed behind the ear a few hours before travelling and lasts for about 3 days. The active ingredient is scopolamine which is absorbed through the skin. It is derived from a psychoactive plant but a small dose can cure nausea. It is in fact more often used to treat feelings of sickness after an operation in hospital.

Other Motion Sickness Medications

There are also other drugs that can be taken including dramamine and bonine.

Natural Cures

There are a whole host of natural cures. The effects will differ from person to person and some people may report no improvement at all. These include, aromatherapy, homeopathy, eating ginger and avoiding alcohol and fatty foods.

Accupressure

Some people swear by bands that are worn on the wrist which stimulate accupressure points on the underside. These motion sickness cures are available without a prescription and typically cost around $100. They actually work by delivering a tiny electric current (you can alter the strength) to the accupressure point on the wrist. The best thing about them is that they do not have the side effects that one would associate with drugs.