Pubdate: Wed, 01 Aug 2007 Source: Oilweek Magazine (CN AB) Copyright: 2007 JuneWarren Publishing Ltd. Contact: http://www.oilweek.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4544 Author: Andrea W. Lorenz Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Marijuana - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada) DOGHOUSE DOC Dr. Brendan Adams Urges Admission, Recognition and Prevention to Stem the Rise of Drug and Alcohol Abuse in the Workplace When Dr. Brendan Adams talks about cocaine abuse, he leaves no doubt about its effects. "At first it's extremely pleasurable. You go up like a rocket. But crashing off the high is extremely painful. You plunge and feel awful." He adds with a piercing look, "which is why people normally abuse a witch's brew of drugs." Adams has been fascinated by the effects of psychoactive drugs ranging from sedatives such as sleeping pills to hard drugs such as crack cocaine ever since he studied human physiology at the University of Toronto. As a trained pilot he is acutely aware of the dangers posed by any mind-altering substance on a person's ability to control a speeding cylinder of flying metal. Three years ago, Syncrude invited Adams to present on the subject of impairment in the workplace at its 2004 Safety Stand Down event. Since then, the doctor has become one of the most sought-after speakers in town. He has made presentations to Suncor, BJ Services, Precision Drilling, Petro-Canada, Penn West Energy Trust and has a keynote speaker for the Petroleum Services Association of Canada at its annual spring safety seminar. He is in demand for two reasons: first, because alcohol and drug abuse is a growing problem associated with Alberta's economic boom, and second because his manner is so persuasive and his message so compelling. Staff Sergeant Ian Sanderson, northwest region coordinator for the Drugs and Organized Crime Awareness Service in Edmonton, often co-presents with Adams. "He has a great gift," says Sanderson. "It's his ability to talk about the issue and make it understandable to lay people. He's very technical. He's very passionate." Ron Beach, a prevention consultant with the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, has spoken at the podium with both Adams and Sanderson. The three find their presentations increasingly in demand. "I can tell you that there's a perception that drug abuse is a serious problem," says Beach. "With greater affluence, there's greater abuse." All three were instrumental in the creation last year of the Drug and Alcohol Council for Safe Alberta Workplaces. Adams' message can come as a revelation to employers: "Think upstream," he counsels. What he means is find ways to help employees avoid the temptation of resorting to alcohol and drug abuse. Beach explains: "He tells people: 'You're pulling people out of the river all the time. Eventually, you have to go upstream and ask: What could we do to prevent this from happeningUKP'" In Alberta, substance abuse is becoming increasingly problematic, not just among oilfield workers but all the way up the responsibility ladder. "Addiction is no respecter of socio-economic status," warns Adams. The latest Federal Canadian Addiction Survey shows that between 1994 and 2004, marijuana use doubled and cocaine and amphetamine use tripled. "We're talking about 20,000-plus Alberta workers that use drugs on the job," says Sanderson. The problem is growing at all levels of society. "It's quite clear if you look at the data, the use of drugs knows no demographic bounds. I'm reminded of an addict I interviewed in Vancouver. The issue was methamphetamine. He said to me: 'Do you know how many people driving BMWs and Jaguars drive up to me and say can I score a hitUKP'" The problem is so worrisome that on the eve of the Calgary Stampede - a week when excessive drinking and partying become the social norm - Dr. Jim Buckee, the CEO of Talisman Energy, circulated an e-mail message informing staff of a policy of random drug and alcohol testing, and warning of the consequences for anyone found to be over the limit. "By far, alcohol is the biggest drug being abused in the workplace," says Sanderson. However, cocaine use is becoming more prevalent. Cocaine is both seductive and deceptive. And that is the problem, says Adams: "Familiarity breeds contempt. Two weeks after cocaine withdrawal, you're walking okay, you're talking okay, but it can take up to three months before the dopamine regenerates in your system." Calgary too is no stranger to all-night cocaine parties. When it comes to drugs like methamphetamines or ecstasy, "The perception is it's just a pill. It's sexy, it's safe," says Sanderson. Cocaine users often get equally hooked on sedatives. Adams noted: "It's unusual to see somebody come through my office who is only a cocaine addict. They have become dopamine junkies." He is referring to the body's craving to continually recreate the dopamine high. One of the seductions of cocaine is the perception that it increases one's creativity. That is "a huge myth." What it does do, says the doctor, is cause one to lose one's inhibitions. "Shy people love it," he says, adding, "It is illusory." Too soon the drug takes control. It can lead to chronic sleep problems, depression, appetite suppression, and impaired judgment. "As they say in AA, now I am a slave to the drug. It becomes a relentless downward spiral." "It's a time bomb waiting to go off," says Sanderson. He and his colleagues on the police force have seen cocaine grow increasingly available and affordable. Cocaine production in South America has gone up eight per cent in the past year, he says, and the fact that it is arriving at Alberta airstrips on private aircraft makes it difficult to police. In May, the RCMP informed aircraft owners at Springbank Airport that they recently made two arrests of private pilots who were discovered running drugs across the border. "We've seen the price come down to between $80 and $100 per gram," said Sanderson. For the casual user who can make a gram of cocaine last a week, the price may be affordable. "For a serious user however, that might be enough to last only a day," says Sanderson. There is an added danger, he warned: "You never know what you're getting. You don't know what the adulterants are." Often people drink or abuse drugs under the assumption "that it will clear my system in time to get back to work," says Beach. "But our bodies don't just flip on and off like a light switch." Worried managers and safety supervisors who seek Adams' advice often ask: Should we implement a drug testing policy? Yes, says Adams. Testing is a useful tool. He cautions, however, "It isn't going to fix the problem by itself." Beach concurs: "Rather than invest in more drug testing, we're encouraging employers to think 'upstream.'" He is referring to Adams' call for more thought to go into prevention. "There are steps you can take that can provide protective factors," says Beach. They include providing a healthy workplace by supporting membership at a gym, for example, and allowing employees to work flexible hours. In addition, Sanderson urges employers to take the stigma out of admitting to the problem. The message in the workplace should be "seeking help is not a bad thing," he says, "that there are ways to come forward and seek help without the fear of losing one's job." On the day we visit Adams at his clinic in a small building at Springbank Airport, he is just taking leave of a film crew there to tape him making a presentation for an Enform safety video. He ushers us up to a small lounge with a bar on the second floor of the clinic which he explains was built by a Greek restaurateur. It is a place where one can enjoy a cold drink while gazing across runways and fields at the snow-covered Rockies. Adams, however, gives the impression of having too much energy and drive to spend time enjoying the view. Fit-looking, prematurely grey, and wearing an earring in one ear, he appears ready to spring off the bar stool. We learn that he grew up in Toronto and that his mother was a fashion editor for Maclean's Magazine. While attending the University of Toronto, he decided to take up flying. While completing his master's degree under the tutelage of Ken Money, who trained as Canada's first astronaut, Adams became fascinated by human physiology and by the effects of "psycho-active" drugs on mind and body. He has written and lectured extensively on the topic. We also learn that Adams has little time for liberal ideologues who oppose drug testing. "People that violently oppose it on human rights grounds are out to lunch," he says heatedly. Adams may have little patience for those with misplaced liberal ideals, but he has a great deal of time available for individuals trying to pry loose the cruel claws of addiction. "Sixty-six percent of alcoholism is genetic," he says. "Addiction is a neuro-biological disease." Those who are fortunate enough to have been born without the predisposition can never truly understand the craving that drives an alcoholic or a drug addict, he explains. "A genetic predisposition seems to be the single most important factor in addiction. If you (someone without the genetic tendency) tried to become an alcoholic you couldn't." Ignoring the signs of addiction in a co-worker or friend is tantamount to witnessing an accident and doing nothing to help, he says. "These are folks who have a disease. Typically, they don't know it or don't admit it. It's as if I saw a large black spot on your back where you can't see it and didn't tell you about it. By helping them cover it up, you're helping them to die." In the macho world of the oilfield, reaching out to a co-worker means stepping into uncomfortable territory. "In the oil industry there is a long and grand tradition of hiding people who are sick," says Adams. He points out that there is a difference between covering up abuse by an office worker or company CEO and in ignoring signs of abuse in a gas plant operator or rig worker. "If you are a manager or a vice president, your co-dependent secretary locks the door and hides you for the rest of the day. One mistake on a rig, and you could kill 20 people," says Adams. "Ultimately we have to firmly and compassionately get someone into treatment." The commitment of employers is key to making the "upstream" approach work, adds Beach: "Their experience is crucial and their participation is pivotal." After Adams ends his presentation and steps down from the podium, members of the audience often eagerly approach him for more information. Standing a little apart from the crowd, though, may be someone he recognizes - not because the doctor has met the person before, but because he knows the individual's story. "The person will hang back and then will come up and say, 'I've got five years.' Or they will say, 'My birthday is five years.'" Instantly, Adams understands the code words: They mean "I have been free of my addiction for five years." The individual's family may have left him and he may have sold or pawned all that he once considered valuable. "Most have lost everything," says Adams. Even so, "They will tell me how fortunate they are. The same person, sometimes tearfully, will tell me that their mother or father didn't get that chance." The individuals Adams admires most are those who have wrestled free from the chains of their addiction. "The people who've made it out - My God, what courage." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake