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Substance Abuse Professional – DOT

As an employee of the Department of Transportation (DOT), drug and alcohol testing should not come back positive. Therefore, the result is an evaluation with a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP).

Drug & Alcohol Testing Program (DATP) – The Department of Transportation (DOT) regulates all persons who possess a commercial driver’s license (CDL). DOT requires all driver’s to follow alcohol and drug testing rules. As a result, the Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is required to conduct a thorough face-to-face assessment. The SAP, also recommends a requires a successful plan of treatment and/or education. As well is responsible for drug and/or alcohol testing and monitoring.

The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation. Therefore, they make recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.

DOT – Return-To-Duty-Process (RTDP) is started before you are considering a return work to a DOT safety-sensitive position. DOT requires successful completion of all recommendations. In the DOT, the return-to-duty process, and any positive drug screens, you will be subjected to unannounced “Follow-Up” testing. The employee wil participate in standardized testing. This will occur for at least 6 times during the first 12 months of active service. Testing can take up to 60 months (as prescribed by the SAP).

Other resources:Can Sleep Apnea Increase the Risk for Cancers and Hypertension Adapting to CPAP Therapy for Your Sleep Apnea

The Effects of Drugs of Abuse on the Brain

Oct 09 2022 Healthcare drugs abuse healthcare mental health

Most drugs of abuse target the brain’s reward system, whether directly or indirectly. These substances flood the reward system with dopamine that regulates movement, emotion, motivation, and feelings of pleasure.

Dopamine is naturally activated during exercise, when a person smells good food, during sexual activities and other pleasurable events.

How Drugs and Alcohol Interact with Dopamine

When dopamine is artificially overstimulated through drug and alcohol use, it produces euphoric effects. These strongly reinforce the behavior of abuse and make the user more inclined to use again.

More to read: Can Sleep Apnea Increase the Risk for Cancers and Hypertension

Benefits of having a CPAP Mask Therapy
February 23, 2023
The continuous positive airway pressure CPAP machine is essential in mitigating the challenge of obtrusive sleep apnea (OSA) and snoring. It effectively keeps the nasal and buccal airways open while the patient sleeps. CPAP therapy is a standard method to manage and treat OSA, which could cause shortness of breath during sleep. This condition results from a blocked airway due to the collapse of the walls of the CPAP masks …Read More »
Can Sleep Apnea Contributes to Hair Loss?
December 3, 2022
People with sleep apnea feel exhausted the next day, even after getting a “full” night’s rest. The very idea of having blocked or lapsed breathing is frightening enough, but those who really have it also suffer from secondary concerns including marital troubles, weight gain, and reduced cognitive functioning. These problems are caused by the secondary effects of the primary condition. Even more concerning, research has shown that long-term impacts might …Read More »
Can Exercises Reduce Risk of Sleep Apnea?
December 3, 2022
One of the most common causes of interrupted sleep is a blocked airway, which is the case with those who suffer from sleep apnea. Because of this blockage, you will have trouble breathing while you sleep. Sleep apnea is characterised by snoring and periodic interruptions in breathing while sleeping. About 80% of those who snore have sleep apnea. Although OSA is the most frequent, there are two other forms of …Read More »
Can Sleep Apnea Increase the Risk for Cancers and Hypertension
October 26, 2022
Is Sleep Apnea associated with an increased risk to cancer? It is common knowledge that sleep apnea can wreak havoc on our normal sleeping habits, our ability to remain attentive during the day, and our mental health. But the potential harm that might be caused by this illness that can at times render a person helpless is becoming increasingly clear to us. Sleep apnea has been connected to diseases as …Read More »
Can Sleep Apnea Cause High Blood Pressure?
October 26, 2022
How closely linked are sleep apnea and hypertension? To what extent does obstructive sleep apnea contribute to the development of high blood pressure? When persons with sleep apnea utilize continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), does their blood quality improve? Keep reading to get the details on all of this and more. The link between obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension Hypertension is the medical word for high blood pressure. If your …Read More »