DRUG ABUSE AT WORK - IT'S IN THE EYES

Expert Offers Detection Tips at Freeport Session

Drug Paraphernalia Is Part of a User's Lifestyle. Keeping Your Eyes
Open to Behavior and "The Tools of the Trade" Will Help Identify
Employees Who Are Using in the Workplace.

FREEPORT - While testing and other tactics can be powerful tools in
detecting whether an employee is abusing drugs or alcohol, former
suburban police sergeant and drug recognition expert, Bruce Talbot
says an equally strong indicator is behavior.

"The eyes are the windows of the soul," the Woodridge man told more
than 50 gathered at Freeport Public Library Wednesday. "All drug use
will show up in the eyes."

The four-hour training session was hosted by New Vision, a medical
stabilization service focusing on drug, alcohol and related health
issues. Attendees learned of the affects of various drugs -
everything from alcohol and tranquilizers to narcotics like heroin and Vicodin.

"The goal is to find out if someone is reporting to work under the
influence," said Talbot, who teaches drug recognition to police and
corporate clients throughout the country.

He pointed out behavior ticks exhibited by stimulant abusers - such
as tremors, hyperactivity, sweating, dry mouth, red nose, sniffling,
paranoia and depression.

"You are not firing these people because of their substance abuse
problems," said Talbot. "You are firing them because of their
performance and behavior problems." *

Talbot said the trick between determining if your employee is doing
cocaine - rather than just sick with a runny nose or allergies - is
focusing on their pupils. In cocaine abusers, pupils are likely to be
dilated by 50 percent more than their irises.

Conversely, Talbot said the pupils of heroin users will be abnormally
small. Other signs of heroin use is dream-like, spacey behavior,
face-itching and scratching and lidded eyes.

"There has been a 186 percent increase in heroin overdoses in
Chicago," said Talbot, adding that the drug is widely available in
potent form today in many cities. What's more, many who would have
never used intravenous drugs are trying heroin in powder form.

Talbot urged employers to move away from screening workers only when
they have reasonable suspicion the person is doing drugs, since such
tests tend to only be good at detecting late-stage addicts who have
gotten careless.

"Drug users are notoriously sloppy," he said, telling audience
members to look around for paraphernalia, like pipes made out of pop
cans, light bulbs and glass tubes; and pay close attention to the
behavior of problem employees by greeting them at the door when they
come in and looking in their eyes.

If they appear to be high, said Talbot, employers should make sure
they have a witness to help them document the event.

Talbot mentioned a large bakery firm who found out about an employee
drug problem - only after a cookie came down the assembly line with a
crack pipe sticking out of it.

"Luckily they found it," Talbot said. "The expensive part was not
having a policy ... throwing out the cookies from that run and
shutting down the entire factory for a week to sterilize the machines."

Sharon Cox, a nursing supervisor from Beloit Memorial Hospital
attended the workshop with four of her co-workers.

"It's important to know if any of our employees may be in trouble or
need help," she said.