10/1/10 New Mandatory Drug Screening Changes for all Charter Captains

[Rascal Trophy Fishing]

I had some spare time the past few days to read our MCBA newsletter, the Cannonball Gazette, Winter 2010. All members were recently advised via email that our old 1992 program, annually updated, was now defective and no longer validated by the USCG. Not to worry, it's the off-season, and a new approved program is soon to take it's place to be in full compliance. Here's two of those highlights: 1) Per the USCG, "at issue is the response time between the random selection by LexisNexis and the actual collection". A new emphasis has been placed on IMMEDIATE - the time requirement from random notification to collection of samples. The aspect of the regulation is proving to be difficult to address by all Drug and Alcohol Programs that are not "confined to a factory like setting". IMMEDIATE means that "the collection will take place within 2-4 Hours of the selectee being notified". 2) The next USCG mandate involves this too: "of critical importance will be the individual captain's responsibility in writing his own personal drug policy and his plan to implement it".

[Rascal Trophy Fishing]

Ok, these highlights pretty much speak for themselves. Personally, I have never written a drug program, and never have written a policy to implement one either, has anyone else? Secondly, a 2-4 hour response time to immediately respond for a drug test seems a bit unreasonable, not to mention an impossibility if you are out on the lake, in the hospital, out of town or state and having mail held till return, when an approved test facility may be miles or hours away to begin with. I'd like some input from you guys as to whether you are aware of the changes, agree or disagree with them, and any and all new information you have that is pertinent to the subject addressed here. Thanks.