Tasc Inc

Information may not be reliable

Tasc-Arizona Provides you with information on Helping people understand, cope and know the effects drugs can cause in ones life. Tasc is an orginzation of devoted people who study advanced knowledge of alcohol and drug abuse Along with mental health intervention and paths on ways to treating people with these problems.
If you would like further information on TASC, inc. visit the updated site here.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, drugs are the number one crime problem in the United States. Drug dealing is estimated to be over a $100 billion dollar annual business. Huge profits are made by criminals outside the U.S. and those supplying drugs to local communities. The recent surge of juvenile gangs can be directly linked to the drug industry and the resulting increase in violence. Such violence is often directed at rival gangs but is also targeted at drug users and innocent people. Drug use also causes other consequences such as infant addiction, the spread of HIV disease and an increase in crimes such as armed robberies. In many neighborhoods, people are afraid to leave their homes or to let their children play outside for fear of drug dealer's demands or caught in the crossfire of violence. Because police have limited resources, they must utilize community support to stop drug dealing and education is the first step.
Alcohol and drug use in the workplace is receiving attention due to the public's increased awareness and concern about safety, productivity and health. Each year alcohol and drugs cost taxpayers billions of dollars in Federal Government drug-related expenditures. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that between 5 and 10% of workers are heavy users of alcohol. Furthermore, they report the following statistics about workers who use drugs:
* 22% of construction workers

* 11% in manufacturing, retail and professional positions
Compared to the average employee, workers who use alcohol and drugs are late to work three times more, receive sickness benefits three times more, have four times more on-the-job accidents and file five times more worker's compensation claims. They are also absent 16 times more and are absent for more than one week, which is two and a half times more than non-users. In addition to these problems, alcohol and drug use lowers productivity, increases equipment damage and increases the chance of injury to the public.
Businesses have responded to the alcohol and drug problem by implementing policies designed to prevent drug users from entering the workforce and to help those workers who are already using alcohol and drugs. The most common aspects of these policies are formal written drug policies, employee assistance programs and drug testing programs. Over 40% of U.S. companies provide employee assistance program services which are confidential, professional assistance. If you need assistance for a personal problem, see your company's EAP professional.
The major law on workplace drugs is narrow - and it contains a few teeth. The Drug-Free Workplace Act, passed in 1988, dictates that workplaces receiving federal grants or contracts must be drug-free or lose the funding, although it does not call for testing or monitoring workers.
Approximately 20% of working Americans are in a company that does drug testing. Overall drug testing results are declining nationally each year. Employers use the tests for three reasons: to avoid hiring new applicants who use drugs; to discourage drug use by current employees; and to identify workers who are drug users. Although drug testing has proven effective, there are definite problems. For example, the fact that a person tests positive for a drug does not mean they are under the influence of that drug. Not all tests are 100% accurate and a positive test can not determine if the person is an occasional user or dependent. This makes it hard to determine what course of action to take if an employee tests positive. Should employers be able to terminate the worker's employment or should the employee be required to enter drug treatment or drug education classes? These questions have yet to be resolved although a number of states have passed comprehensive drug testing legislation, requiring that employers have "probable cause", or a "reasonable suspicion" to test employees for drugs. Violation of the worker's civil rights and the employer's duty to provide a safe workplace are still under review by the courts.
In general, employers have the right to test new job applicants for traces of drugs in their systems as long as:
* the applicant knows that such testing will be part of the screening process for new employees
* the employer has already offered the applicant the job

* the tests are administered by a state-certified laboratory
The number of drugs being smuggled into the United States continues to increase. According to the National Drug Control Strategy,
The drugs are then distributed to other major cities, reaching almost every city and rural community in the US. Cocaine is one of the principle drugs being smuggled into the country. Most of it is processed in South America and distributed by the powerful cartels. The cartels are large, highly structured organizations that use their wealth and power to corrupt the law and government officials who try to stop their operations.
Heroin is another drug being smuggled into the US. It is second only to cocaine in the number of addicts. About 40% of the heroin smuggled into the US is produced in Mexico. New synthetic forms of heroin that are cheaper and more deadly promise to be a problem for US drug enforcement agencies and will continue to be a problem as long as there is a demand for the product. State and federal penalties for distribution of illicit drugs are severe and often include imprisonment.

DRUGS AND ADOLESCENTS
The Department of Health and Human Services has identified changes in behavior which may be signs that a teen is involved in drug use. These include the following:
* Abrupt changes in mood or attitude

* Associating with a new group of friends, particularly with those who use drugs
If you think your teenager has a problem with drugs or alcohol, there are organizations and agencies that canhelp. Your family doctor or local health department may be able to recommend a treatment program.