Drug-related policies implemented in Colorado and Ohio

A new policy in Larimer County, Colorado, will make drug testing mandatory for any prospective employee offered a regular or part-time job with the county, according to The Reporter Herald. The testing is expected to cost around $14,000 per year, and each test will be a $40 expense, the news source adds. Furthermore, the proposal clarifies that additional testing may be required for employees whom a manager reasonably suspects is under the influence of drugs, including medical marijuana. The pain management herb will not be tolerated in the workplace if it appears to affect an employee's ability to do his or her job safely and effectively. County officials plan for the policy to be in place by June 1. In Columbus, Ohio, accidental drug overdoses due to prescription painkiller abuse has now surpassed car crashes as the leading cause of accidental death in the state, according to The Daily Reporter. The epidemic has provoked state lawmakers to pass a bill that imposes fines on pain management clinics that don't identify themselves as distributors of dangerous drugs. The news source adds that the bill would also require criminal background screenings for clinic employees.