Definition - What does Under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor or Drugs mean?
To be under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs is to consume an amount of alcohol or drugs that is enough to reduce a person's physical and mental capabilities. The phrase is most often applied to the inability to safely operate a vehicle or heavy machinery. Signs of someone being under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs will vary depending on the specific substance(s) ingested but can include bloodshot eyes, pupil dilation at odds with lighting conditions, noticeable decrease in personal appearance standards and grooming, shaking, slurred speech, loss of coordination, temper volatility, abnormal sleepiness, nausea, and vomiting.
SureHire explains Under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor or Drugs
An employee under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs can be a danger in the workplace. While a specific drug level is not designated for most illegal drugs, an employee is deemed to be under the influence of intoxicating liquor if the percentage of alcohol by weight in the employee's blood is .04 percent or greater. According to the Department of Transport, all supervisors of drivers must be trained for a minimum of 60 minutes each on alcohol misuse and drug misuse. This training must enable the supervisor to identify signs of impairment in a driver and to determine whether there is sufficient suspicion to warrant sending a driver to a collection site for testing.
Drug testing can not accurately determine if an employee is impaired at the time, but only that a specific substance was ingested within a specific time frame. Supervisors must use their training and best judgement in conjunction with reasonable suspicion testing to narrow down and determine if an employee is likely under the influence of an intoxicating substance.
