1300 DRUGSAFE 
An incident early this year shows us how illicit drugs can influence a user’s thought process and actions.
Matthew Branagan, a well-known creative professional, was convicted of sexual assault. He had climbed into a window and forced himself on a sleeping woman.
Mr. Branagan blamed his actions on his cocaine habit.
Clearly, drug abuse has serious health and safety implications that affect not just the users but also the people around them.
Illicit Drug Use Among Western Sydney Professionals
Mr. Branagan’s admission to a cocaine habit is likely not a shock to professionals in Sydney’s Inner West.
In fact, the profile of drug-using employees in Western Sydney is similar to that of the CBD. With cocaine use being an expensive habit to maintain (even for those who do it on occasion), a majority of users are white-collar professionals.
In Western Sydney, the reality is that the biggest users of cocaine and other drugs are educated and employed. And they have no qualms about spending upwards of $300 for the drug only for a weekend.
In case you didn’t know, Sydney has the world’s second priciest cocaine at $311 per gram.
With such a lucrative market for the drug, recent arrests have revealed that major drug syndicates, and even ring leaders, are operating out of Western Sydney.
Massive Drug Seizures in Western Sydney
Earlier this year, the police arrested drug ringleaders operating in South West Sydney. The authorities seized a substantial amount of illicit drugs equivalent to seven million individual hits.
That’s seven million hits that could have made their way to the streets of not just Western Sydney but also to other parts of the city.
In a more recent drug bust in Sydney’s inner-west, authorities seized $1 million worth of illicit drugs believed to be cocaine. The suspect was a 36-year old man operating out of a motel on Parramatta Road.
Moreover, a subsequent search of his trailer yielded a massive haul of illicit drugs: 2kg of cocaine, 75kg of cannabis and 227g of MDMA.
Areas not usually associated with drugs such as the Hills District have also seen an increase in arrests for drug possession, which reveals the ever-widening base of cocaine users in Sydney.
The man tried before the courts for cocaine-related charges stated that he supplied cocaine not only to the partying sort of affluent clients.
He says that suburban drug users who like to stay at home are also some of his regular clients, from single mums and dads to the elderly with disposable income.
No concerns about the legal and health consequences of drug
Cocaine users know that the authorities are after drug dealers and not users. For this reason, you will find that they do not associate fear or anxiety with their habit.
In fact, just like Mr. Branagan’s case, cocaine use is widely accepted in various social circles.
For white-collar workers with high-pressure jobs, cocaine is just another way to unwind and have fun.
Users often do not worry about the possible health consequences of the drug. There is no thought to the risk of accidents at work and its impact on their co-workers.
An employee with drug dependence issues may not care about its impact on their mental, physical, and emotional health. But as an employer, you have the legal obligation to provide a safe and healthy work environment for your workers.
And the only way to find out who among your workers has drug dependence issues is through drug and alcohol testing.
Drug Testing in Western Sydney
For almost 20 years, Drug-Safe Australia has provided drug and alcohol testing services in Western Sydney. Naturally, we have the skills and experience to provide all methods of alcohol and other drug screenings.
But first, we make sure to study the risks inherent to your type of business.
Contact us today for a confidential discussion on how we can help you.
