Drug and Alcohol Testing at the Workplace

An employees’ drug taking choices could be jeopardising your business and compromising the safety of those who work in it.

Employers are legally bound to provide a safe workplace.

WHS legislation states that employers are to “secure the health and safety of workers and workplaces through the elimination or minimisation of risks” and “workers and others are to be given the highest level of protection from hazards and risks”.

Failure to do so compromises the safety of your workers and leaves company owners and directors exposed to the risk of litigation and losing
everything they have worked hard for.

As Australia’s Drug Epidemic worsens the chances of a drug or alcohol related incident occurring at your work site are increasing.

Facts About Alcohol and Other Drugs in the Community

As a company at the forefront of alcohol and other drug (AOD) solutions in the workplace, Drug-Safe Australia has always sought to create better understanding of the issues around substance abuse within our unique and treasured Australian society. Some of the more startling statistics we’ve discovered include…

facts-1 Almost 70% of Australian illegal drug users are employed.

facts-2 Lost productivity due to alcohol and other drug abuse has been estimated to cost employers in Australia $16 billion annually.

facts-3 Alcohol is the second greatest cause of drug-related hospitalisations in Australia.

facts-4 About six million Australians aged 14 years and over have used an illegal drug.

facts-5 The most commonly used drugs, in descending order are: cannabis, ecstasy, methamphetamine/amphetamine, and painkillers/analgesics. However, the use of “ICE” or methamphetamine is increasing dramatically with the result of destroying families and young lives. It is a catalyst for violence and extremely difficult to end addiction.

facts-6 Methadone is a synthetic heroin. Methadone users are not cured heroin users but maintaining a highly dependent addiction through a controlled programme.

facts-7 80% of heroin users who wish to end their addiction and go through a detox programme will relapse. Successful heroin detox is approximately 20%.

facts-8 According to Workcover statistics, in serious workplace accidents where alcohol or other drugs are present, 80% of the injured are non-users.

facts-9 26% of Australian psychiatric patients have a dependency on marijuana.

facts-10 80% of the crime committed in Australia is drug related.

fact-11 Mixing marijuana with alcohol increases the risk of having an accident from 3 to 48 times.

fact-12 Two out of three drug users will find it difficult to abstain for a whole day and will ‘top-up’ at work.

Why Drug-Safe And
Not Drug-Free?

The reality of 21st Century society is that it is an impossible dream to focus upon a Drug-Free Community. So, trying to create a 100% drug-free workplace is a pointless goal when many people require medication or prescribed drugs to lead a normal, productive and pain-free life.

The drugs in the Australian Standards for testing, and alcohol, are ones that are known to effect a person’s behaviour and fitness for duty. Through education and training programmes we are able to demonstrate why taking these drugs is not acceptable either at work, in sport, at school or generally within the social fabric of the Community.

Our Complete Drug-Safe Solution has been proven over and over…

Our innovative approach gives your workplace, sports facility of Community a comprehensive solution and includes

policy development,
educational workshops,
certified training course,
products for testing,
on site screening in house or in our mobile clinics
Comprehensive testing and results analysis.

We pride ourselves on having the experience and knowledge to manage the launch period and subsequent testing stage so that objections are professionally handled with minimal problems or objections.

What Should I Do if I Suspect a Colleague is Using Drugs

September 9, 2019

So you noticed that a colleague at work had been acting rather oddly the past week.

First, you see him just staring blankly into space while sitting at his desk. Then, as you passed by each other on your way to the water cooler, you notice that your co-worker’s eyes are bloodshot and glazed. Later, as he handed you some documents, you couldn’t help but notice that he keeps on wearing long-sleeved shirts even when the weather is hot. With everything you’ve observed, you are beginning to suspect your work colleague is using drugs.

If you suspect that a colleague is taking drugs, you cannot just ignore it and hope it will pass. Especially if that colleague also happens to be a friend. Just consider the impact drugs can have on your colleague, their family, your employer/company and your other co-workers.

Alcohol and its Effects on the Australian Workforce

September 5, 2019

Alcohol and its consumption has a sizable impact on the Australian workforce. Employed Australians are more likely to drink alcohol than those who do not belong to the workforce.

In a study conducted by the National Alcohol and Drug and Knowledgebase (NADK), alcohol has been linked to a variety of negative outcomes at work.

The 6 Essentials of a Workplace Drug and Alcohol Policy

August 8, 2019

As an employer, you may be unsure about what to include in your workplace drug and alcohol policy. Rightly so, as there is no one size fits all.

As with any workplace policy, crafting a comprehensive policy regarding the use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) requires collaboration with your HR employees and, if possible, a professional that specialises in risk assessment.

Sydney is the cocaine capital of Australia

July 5, 2019

New South Wales is making the headlines again relating to illicit cocaine use.

This after recent operations targeting the supply of cocaine in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. In this case, Police apprehended a total of 55 people for either buying or selling cocaine. What’s shocking is the brazen way buyers and sellers act on the streets of Sydney’s eastern suburbs. It is definitely unsettling.

Ice Use is Rising Among Australian Teenagers

June 5, 2019

Ice use is a problem not exclusive to adults. In the past five years, it has become the drug of choice of teenagers in Australia.

In an article by Esther Tan for the Sydney Morning Herald, she details the findings of commissioner Dan Howard in a public inquiry to find effective ways to combat rising levels of ice use in the country.