Australia is the world’s highest consumer of illicit recreational drugs. It is not a reputation to be proud of.
One reason why we’ve won “the gold medal” in drug use is down to the explosive increase in the availability and consumption of Ice.
The National Drug Survey revealed that approximately half of all methamphetamine users consume Ice and the number of people on Ice has doubled.
This is a real-life confession from an Ice user who revealed how it is possible that illicit drugs can be present in the workplace without employers knowing.
It is a scary reminder to management that what seems to be alright…with trusted workers being punctual and putting in a good day’s effort…might be disguising something much more sinister. This is why no-one can claim to have a drug-safe workplace unless they have examined it and implemented a professional drug-safe regime.
A 42 year old truckie who faced Mackay Supreme Court for drug possession revealed that he was carrying enough Ice in his truck to drive 42 trips under its influence.
He said there was constant pressure from his employers to cover long distances and he was driving up to 140 hours per week, and needed the Ice to stay awake.
Police pulled the B-double over after another truck driver reported he had seen it swerve across the road, and they found $5000 of methamphetamines in bags in the cabin.
Since being apprehended the driver has stopped taking the drug, he has changed from long haul to short distance local routes and changed industries to drive a front end loader.
The Royal Australian Navy has been very busy over the past three years as a member of the 31-nation Combined Maritime Forces group patrolling the oceans west and north of Australia.
HMAS Arunta recently arrived home after a long time at sea during which time its crew discovered and seized 570 kilograms of heroin and 800 kilograms of hashish.
The street value of these discoveries is more than $200,000,000.
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Three million hits of the drug Ice have been taken off our streets following a successful raid by Border Force officials.
They discovered 370 kilograms of ephedrine secreted in sea cargo and the ‘find’ has led to two arrests so far.
A former manager of premiership winning AFL players will go on trial after allegedly being caught with $1 million worth of Ice during a routine traffic stop.
Gold Coast police have discovered nearly $750,000 worth of drugs and a shotgun after raiding homes of ex-bikie gang members.The drugs included methamphetamines, MDMA, cannabis and prescription drugs.
Police have found $35,000 in cash and drugs in a four wheel drive vehicle after it left the Castlereagh Highway and flipped several times. The occupants escaped with minor injuries.
A fight between two friends over heroin has need with one of them fighting for his life in hospital with stab wounds to the abdomen.
A Crime And Corruption Commission audit of hospitals has found 66 per cent of thefts related to missing drugs.
The State Opposition in Victoria is calling Premier Andrews’ Ice Action Plan a $184 million dud.
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HMAS Arunta is returning to port after a nine month deployment in which time it discovered over 1.3 tonnes of illegal drugs hidden inside foreign vessels bound for Australia.
The crew seized 800kg of hashish in March, 250kg of heroin in May and another 260kg of heroin in June. HMAS Newcastle will take over from Arunta in the same region.
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The Australian Journal of Pharmacy has reported that in the latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) it shows that more people aged over 40 are taking illegal substances.
The proportion of people questioned by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare with a positive response jumped to 16 per cent.
The most commonly used drugs across all age groups are cannabis, pharmaceuticals (misused, not taken for their proper reason), cocaine and ecstasy.
Ice is the most used methamphetamine – it leapt from 22% in 2010 to 57% today. In fact, methamphetamine use has now overtaken alcohol in Australia as “the drug of most concern”.
Older people are also more likely to binge drink. The survey found an increase in the number of people aged over 50 who consume 11 or more standard drinks in a single sitting.
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It beggars belief but it is true. Police are discovering that the age limit on young people using illicit drugs is now less than teenage years. Over the past few weeks they have found people as young as 10 years of age high on Ice.
This is just one of many alarming incidents across the nation…including a mass drug overdose involving a dozen teens at Yeppoon…a grandmother trying to smuggle drugs into a jail…authorities being asked to examine if there is a connection between Islamic extremism and drugs since finding out that Brighton gunman Yacqub Khayre was a drug user from the age of 16…and the revelation that Ice cartels have set up a network across Victorian regional towns.
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Australia is setting new records for all the wrong reasons…with the largest amount of methamphetamines ever seized by police. The 903 kilogram haul has a street value of close to $1 billion.
Police found the drugs hidden inside 70 boxes of wooden floorboards. They had come into the country from Asia via Melbourne port and were stored in a Melbourne warehouse.
At the same time, a huge task force of more than 200 officers raided 28 properties across Sydney and in Canberra and discovered the largest amount of ephedrine ever found.
The 1.4 tonne haul had a street value of $650 million. It was brought into the country in containers labelled as sea salt. Ephedrine is used to make the drug “Ice”.
Police also found $2 million in cash in the record-breaking bust. They allege that the Rebels bikie gang and an Asian organised crime group are behind the drug importing operation.
I turned up for work and wondered where my business partner was. Several hours later I discovered why he didn’t appear. He had been found dead in an alley way at Kings Cross with a needle still in his arm. He had died of a heroin overdose.
I had no idea that he had a drug addiction. We had been working together for 15 years. How was it that he had managed to keep it a secret from me?
The shock of this tragic discovery worsened when I found out he had been fiddling the books in order to pay for his habit. He had taken more than $300,000 from the company account.
No matter how well you think you know someone…you don’t.
The story on the left is not just any story. It is the story of Drug-Safe’s founder Michael White. The events destroyed his then-business. It was the reason he created Drug-Safe Australia and made it his mission to help companies like yours avoid similar tragedies.
One person, one incident could ruin your business forever. Not to mention the lives impacted of employees, families and depending on the incident even random members of the public.
It is our mission to help you avoid such tragic incidents from impacting or destroying your company. Our professional staff members will work with you to determine the best approach in protecting your employees.
From drug testing policy development, staff drug safety education, drug and alcohol testing and drug-safe workplace certification – our services are
Call us today for a confidential conversation and discover how we can help you!
Whether you are in a capital city or in the remote parts of Australia. With our fleet of mobile drug testing units and locations across Australia, we can cover most of the continent.
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