Employee wasn't allowed to work after drug raid in which police found pot, $40K in cash and tokens A fare collector who took home $40,000 in TTC funds and then lost it in a drug raid has been awarded compensation from the transit agency after he challenged his suspension from the job. The case is a bizarre three-year saga involving marijuana, police, and TTC tokens. During that time, transit employee Tyson Hu was arrested, suspended without pay for more than a year, reinstated and finally awarded months of back pay for some of the time he was wasn't allowed to work. [continues 1002 words]
CEO says results 'concerning' but justify transit agency's push for substance abuse checks Well that didn't take long. Two TTC employees have been suspended for being impaired on the job after they both failed tests on the first day of the transit agency's new random drug and alcohol testing program. The first employee given a breathalyzer that morning blew over the limit, according to agency spokesperson Brad Ross. The employee was found to have a blood alcohol level of more than .04 per cent, which the TTC considers impaired. [continues 732 words]
Union slams allegations in court document as 'absolutely false' The TTC's workforce has a substance abuse problem that could put passengers and the public at serious risk if it's not addressed, according to a court document filed by the transit agency. But a representative of the union that represents TTC workers calls the allegations of substance abuse "absolutely false." In a factum the TTC submitted before a hearing this week on its proposed random drug and alcohol testing policy, the agency said that between October 2010 and December 2016 there were 291 incidents in which employees' behaviour raised safety concerns. In almost half of those, the TTC either suspected or confirmed drug or alcohol use. [continues 606 words]
Union vows to fight in court, says members 'furious' about new tests run by outside firm The TTC has provoked the ire of its largest union by announcing that it will begin randomly testing its employees for drug and alcohol use starting on March 1. In a news release on Thursday, the transit agency said that it had given formal notice to its workers that it was moving ahead with the plan, which has been in the works for five years. Under the plan, 20 per cent of employees occupied in "safety sensitive" positions - including some management and executives - would be subject to the tests for drugs and alcohol. Those who would be tested include vehicle operators, maintenance workers and supervisors. [continues 357 words]
More young Ontarians say they're likely to try drug, but overall consumption won't change much More young adults in Ontario say they would smoke marijuana if the federal government legalizes the drug, according to a new public opinion poll. The provincewide survey, released exclusively to the Star by Forum Research, found that 29 per cent of respondents aged 18 to 34 reported using weed in the past year. But 39 per cent of people in the same demographic said they would likely take the drug if it were legal. [continues 631 words]
A University of Waterloo researcher is slamming Stephen Harper's assertion that marijuana is "infinitely worse" than tobacco, saying the remark has no basis in scientific fact. The Conservative leader made the comment the morning after the final debate of the election campaign Friday night, during which he criticized Justin Trudeau's proposal to legalize the drug. Asked by a reporter on Saturday why he so strongly objected to the Liberal leader's plan, Harper said there is "overwhelming and growing" evidence of "the bad long-term effects" of marijuana use. Noting that authorities have spent decades trying to discourage Canadians from using tobacco, he said "marijuana is infinitely worse, and is something we do not want to encourage." [continues 176 words]
A University of Waterloo researcher is slamming Stephen Harper's assertion that marijuana is "infinitely worse" than tobacco, saying the remark has no basis in scientific fact. The Conservative leader made the comment the morning after the final debate of the election campaign Friday night, during which he criticized Justin Trudeau's proposal to legalize the drug. Asked by a reporter on Saturday why he so strongly objected to the Liberal leader's plan, Harper said there is "overwhelming and growing" evidence of "the bad long-term effects" of marijuana use. Noting that authorities have spent decades trying to discourage Canadians from using tobacco, he said "marijuana is infinitely worse, and is something we do not want to encourage." [continues 336 words]
'No comparison' between harms of marijuana, tobacco, public health experts say Public health experts are slamming Stephen Harper's assertion that marijuana is "infinitely worse" than tobacco, saying the remark has no basis in scientific fact. The Conservative leader made the comment the morning after the final debate of the election campaign Friday night, during which he criticized Justin Trudeau's proposal to legalize the drug. Asked by a reporter on Saturday why he so strongly objected to the Liberal leader's plan, Harper said there is "overwhelming and growing" evidence of "the bad, long-term effects" of marijuana use. Noting that authorities have spent decades trying to discourage tobacco use, he said "marijuana is infinitely worse, and is something we do not want to encourage." [continues 265 words]
Three more candidates running in the federal election found themselves under fire over social media activity on Thursday, with profanity-laden rants, tips on how to spot "a latent homosexual," and a defence of parents who expose their kids to marijuana the latest bits of online history to be unearthed. Already this week, two Conservative candidates were booted after their bad behaviour went viral. This time, it was one Conservative and two Liberal nominees in the hot seat. One of the Liberals has already resigned. [continues 741 words]
Medical Officer of Health Hypes Plan for Safe Injection Site It's an idea that's always proved too radioactive for council to touch, but Toronto Public Health believes it could save lives. In a report released Tuesday, July 2, the city health agency recommends seeking provincial funding to set up Toronto's first supervised drug consumption site. The report, authored by medical officer of health Dr. David McKeown, calls for a pilot project of the controversial practice. The proposal goes before the board next week. [continues 690 words]
