Drug WarRant

Guither · Last edited by Guither on Fri Mar 02, 2007 9:30 am; edited 1 time in total

I was doing a little surfing and came across this page at SAMHSA

It includes this obviously incorrect statement:

Guither · Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 4:03 pm Post subject:

While we're at it, I think this one:

allan · ______ Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 582

I'm getting ready to get involved in Oregon's version of the DrugFree Workplace initiative (shooting for 75% application across the state) and they use these stats.

I've emailed SAMSHA asking their source for the quotes you supplied.
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the illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world.
- Carl Sagan

Guither · Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:22 pm Post subject:

In case you missed it earlier, here's my main post on the Firestone "study."

See also here and here.

brian bennett · Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:59 am Post subject:

after spending the past two hours trying to find it on-line, i can state without reservation that any and all references to the 1999 NHSDA main document should be completely eliminated.

the document no longer exists *anywhere* on line, and all links to the original source document return 404 errors -- regardless of which government source they are alleged to be available from.

it appears that samhsa has decided that no one should ever be able to find the document on line, and the only pieces of it left are some of the data tables and all of the sate by state "youth" findings.

there are warnings that due to methodology changes, the 1999 data can not be directly compared to earlier findings, and indeed, the 1999 estimates wee combined with the 2000 estimates for the 2000 final reports.

the only way to validate the quote about workplace claims is in a paper copy of the original -- which i do not have.

Guither · Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:10 am Post subject:

Thanks, Brian. I was having the same problem. Of course, I don't think that the content of NHSDA has ever dealt with workplace accidents or compensation claims (it wouldn't make any sense).

I'm guessing that when they were sourcing the info on that page, they copied and pasted source #1 (which was about "current" drug use) for the others and then replaced them with the actual sources. But since they didn't have a source for number 7 and 9 (since no source exists for those fictions), they just left the 1999 NDSDA there as source.

There's another smaller error:
The headline that has the question "Who is using drugs at work?" refers to data regarding current illicit drug users. There is no indication that those people are using drugs at work.

Also: Source number 11 appears to involve somewhat circular referencing, but no actual source.

brian bennett · Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:39 am Post subject:

the frustration i faced when tracking everything down in the first place played a major role in my decision to build my site.

because there are so many dead ends and convoluted linkages out there, i decided to keep my own library of complete documentation -- just so i wouldn't be annoyed when i needed to track it down again.

of course, i made that decision at some point *after* the 1999 nhsda was removed from the internet. i ran into a similar problem trying to get the 1995 data.

Guither · Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:54 am Post subject:

OK, now it turns out that the sources of the lies continue over here (source #5 leads here -- a place with caps and exclamation marks and a mix of dubious claims and outright lies). They also repeat the Firestone study lies and reference DEA as the source.

DrugFreeWorkplace.com is supposedly run by Nationwide Medical Review. Nationwide Medical Review has an address in Indianapolis, but no other internet presence. It is also supposedly a wholly owned subsidiary of Fall Creek Health and Safety, Inc., an Indiana corporation (except that I can't find any internet record of a Fall Creek Health and Safety, Inc. at all)

Nationwide Medical Review
317-547-8620
4926 Mallard View Dr
Indianapolis IN 462

This, by the way, is also the address of Dan Drew, MD, the CEO & Lead MRO of Nationwide Medical Review. He also is the founder of Nationwide Medical Review and Fall Creek Health and Safety, Inc. and the husband of the Operations Manager of Nationwide Medical Review. Dan is also the webmaster.

And this is a site that samhsa used as a SOURCE!

Hmmm.... I think I may need to start working on a Data Quality Act submission. http://aspe.hhs.gov/infoQuality/
Could be fun! The question is -- do we just focus on that page, or go further? My thought is to focus on that page first and really pick it apart completely, and see if we can accomplish anything.

allan · ______ Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 582

Same as I found... due to "errors" in the 1999 they redid things and combined w/ 2000 NHSDA...

I appreciate this guys. If I can even go into this seriously questioning them on the validity of those stats it wll help.

Here in OR we just had a state Supreme Court decision (Washburn v Columbia Forest Products) that allowed a state registered medical cannabis using patient to be dismissed because he tested positive for cannabinoids in a urinalysis. The case didn't hinge on being a medcan user but on his being "disabled" and the definition of disabled and the relationship of available pharmaceuticals to alleviating his disability. Weird shit I tell ya.

I had my first ever Oped published dealing with it.

I am preparing another for the local rag and any add'l info will be of great assist.
_________________
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the illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world.
- Carl Sagan

allan · ______ Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 582

Dr Alex has his paper on drug testing.

Kwix · Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:34 pm Post subject:

Pete,
According to the Indiana Secretary of State's Site Fall Creek Health & Safety Inc. is a legit for profit business, created in 1995. For $2.04 you can "view additional information for the entity, including transaction history, merger information, registered agent, principals and corporate report information (years paid and years due)."

I found a bunch of references to Nationwide Medical Review as a provider of Workplace Drug Testing consultation and support. Wow, if that isn't a conflict of interest, I don't know what is.
_________________
The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is
easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and
denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country
to danger. -- Hermann Goering

Guither · Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 7:03 pm Post subject:

Thanks, Kwix.

Certainly for the sake of a complaint against data quality, the notion of using SAMHSA using Dan Drew's website as the source for statistical information is ludicrous.

This will take some work and I probably won't be able to spend much time on it right away, but there should be no problem creating a compelling challenge to the information.

Sukoi · ______ Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 232 Location: Texas

That's an excellent oped Allan, absolutely OUTSTANDING; damn I wish that I could write like that...
_________________
"Marijuana laws make liars and criminals out of people who are neither! Laws that don't respect people breed people who don't respect Laws!"
- Gregory Schmid author of PRA2000

allan · ______ Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 582

I received my reply (oooh! I was like a kid on Xmas morning...) on my email to SAMHSA:

brian bennett · Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:07 am Post subject:

actually, the latest NSDUH is from 2005.

it's a pretty bad sign when the people who publish the work can't keep up with it.