Why Introduce Workplace Alcohol & Drug Testing?
Workplaces implement a drug testing service for a variety of reasons. Usually, they consider testing because they have been forced by circumstances to do so. For example, there may have been a workplace incident; they may have discovered evidence that there is use in the workplace; there may have been an event accidently posted on social media; or they could be compelled in certain industries (such as mining or construction) to conduct drug testing, or it may be required as part of a tender.
Factors driving a strategy to test may be also be driven by legislative requirements, but should also include consideration of risk factors around safety, concerns around productivity indicators, moral or ethical perceptions, societal prevalence of drugs in our communities, industry data and many other issues. The persistent supply of drugs continues, many of them manufactured for profit and distributed with little or no regard to human life. Workplaces are not immune or protected from them as their residual affects on users are not controlled by a 9-5 time clock.
From a productivity perspective a number of studies have shown the increased impact of drugs and alcohol on absenteeism, staff turnover and an increase in management action to resolve disciplinary issues. This means that frequent and ongoing testing in a well designed AOD program has a very strong impact on improving the safety and productivity of a workplace.
It is estimated that issues associated with drugs and alcohol cost Australian workplaces around $5.2 billion a year and about 15 per cent of workplace injuries worldwide can be attributed to drug and alcohol abuse. This is why drug and alcohol testing, as part of a robust workplace AOD management program, is a must for all Australian businesses serious about safety.
What type of testing is best for your workplace?
Alcohol is a liquid depressant substance produced through the process of fermentation. The psychological and physiological dependence on alcohol is known as alcoholism and often result in chronic diseases and disruption of interpersonal and social relationships. When a person is under the influence of alcohol, their brain, central nervous system, liver, and heart are affected.
In Australia, alcohol is more than just a recreational drink. It is the most commonly consumed psychoactive, or mood-altering, drug that people enjoy, especially during parties and social events. In 2007, 41.3% of drinkers consumed alcohol on a weekly basis. It has been reported that the consumption of alcohol is the top contributing factor of deaths in Australia, being responsible for up to five per cent of all Australian workplace deaths and up to 11 per cent of non-fatal injuries. In addition, the misuse of alcohol costs Australian businesses billions of dollars every year through lost productivity and employee absenteeism.
Implementing workplace alcohol testing, as part of a robust drugs and alcohol policy, is a must to protect your business and improve the safety of your employees.
A simple BAC (Breath Alcohol Concentration) test with a breathalyser is the easiest and most effective means of testing for the presence of alcohol. The breathalyser used by DSW conforms to Australian Standards and is used by some law enforcement agencies. Whilst many businesses now have their own BAC units and have trained staff to use them according to the Standard, DSW provides this service free of charge with all drug tests.
What type of testing is best for your workplace?
Oral testing is relatively quick, is non-invasive and the technology for oral fluid drug testing has improved significantly over the years and it is now a popular method for a variety of drug testing needs.
Oral fluid drug testing has several advantages over traditional urine testing methods:
- Drug testing using saliva is quick, with results available in less than 5 minutes. This reduces downtime and allows more people to be tested in almost any environment without the need for access to restrooms.
- Saliva drug testing is non-intrusive and can be done virtually anywhere, providing greater benefits and meaning to the term ‘ random testing’.
- Testing using saliva is very accurate and the testing equipment used by DSW not only conforms to current Australian Standards but is world class technology.
- Saliva drug testing has been approved as a preferred method over urine drug testing by both industry groups and unions in many different industry sectors.
- The detection period for Saliva is shorter (1-2 days) than it is for Urine (2-3 days). This is of course dependant on a large number of factors, including frequency of use, quantity consumed and individual physical attributes. However, most businesses are only interested in the here and now, and need to be assured that on any given work day that the worker is fit to perform their duties safely for both their own and other’s safety.
- Another great advantage of saliva testing is that there is very limited opportunity for an Oral sample to be contaminated or adulterated under the very strict testing regime conducted by our trained staff
What type of testing is best for your workplace?
The decision about a suitable workplace drug testing method can be a difficult one for many safety-sensitive industries. More than 80% of industries have traditionally adopted Urine testing as the base requirement for their employee drug screening program, although this has been shifting in recent times as the technology for Oral testing devices has improved immensely.
However, the testing of Urine samples has also improved and has had to adapt to the ever increasing number of creative ways that illegal drug suppliers have found to manufacture synthetic variants of popular recreational drugs when supply has been restricted or profits squeezed.
The advantages of Urine testing include:
- A longer detection period in urine samples provides employers with increased awareness of employee behaviour and can be an indicator for planning the frequency of a workplace testing program.
- Urine samples are easier to extract samples for confirmatory laboratory testing when required. (Many companies will require employees to provide a Urine sample if they produce a non-negative Oral test result).
- Urine samples can provide other useful data for managing employee welfare, such as an indication of personal hydration levels (especially in hot and physically demanding environments).
The disadvantages of Urine testing include:
- Urine testing is more invasive and requires access to restrooms
- Urine samples are more easily interfered with and must be more closely monitored
- Urine samples require a higher level of sanitation in handling and storage
- Urine testing may take longer when the ability to provide a sample causes delays and further anxiety in the donor.
As well as Alcohol, DSW is now able to test for an extensive range of common and synthetic drug types including, but not limited to:
- Amphetamines
- Methamphetamines
- Benzodiazapines
- Buprenorphine
- Propoxyphene
- Marijuana
- Cocaine
- Methadone
- Fentanyl
- Phencyclidine
- Opiates
- Oxycodone
- Ecstasy
- Barbiturate
- Ketamine
The Medical Cannabis Controversy….
To understand the differences between ‘recreational’, ‘medicinal’ and ‘synthetic’ cannabis it’s first important to understand a bit about the main chemicals in cannabis.
Cannabinoids are the chemicals which give the cannabis plant its medicinal or recreational properties. Cannabinoids like THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) work by interacting with different receptors in the body to produce the various effects, such as feeling ‘high’ or alleviating nausea.
THC is the cannabinoid that has a psychoactive effect (meaning it produces a ‘high’) whereas, CBD does not. CB1 receptors are found in high concentrations in the brain, and are the pathways that are responsible for the psychoactive effects of THC. The reason that CBD is non-psychoactive is due to its lack of connection or rather affinity with CB1 receptors.
Synthetic Cannabinoids
Synthetic cannabinoids are human-made mind-altering chemicals that are either sprayed on dried, shredded plant material so they can be smoked or sold as liquids to be vaporized and inhaled in e-cigarettes and other devices. These products are also known as herbal or liquid incense.
These chemicals are called cannabinoids because they are similar to chemicals found in the marijuana plant. Because of this similarity, synthetic cannabinoids are sometimes misleadingly called synthetic marijuana (or fake weed), and they are often marketed as safe, legal alternatives to that drug. In fact, they are not safe and may affect the brain much more powerfully than marijuana; their actual effects can be unpredictable and, in some cases, more dangerous or even life-threatening.
Recreational Cannabis
In Australia, recreational cannabis usually comes in the form of the dried leaves and flowers of the plant. It is usually smoked or eaten. Recreational cannabis use, or smoking cannabis for medical reasons, is still prohibited in Australia.
Users can become dependent on or addicted to marijuana, just as someone can with alcohol and tobacco. A person is dependent on marijuana when they have withdrawal symptoms. Someone is addicted to the drug when the drug use interferes with many aspects of life but they still can’t stop using it. Drug use may affect their finances, school work, and social life.
Medicinal cannabis
In comparison, medicinal cannabis is a product/s that is prescribed by a GP or specialist to relieve the symptoms of a medical condition, such as epilepsy. Some medicinal cannabis products are only CBD, some only THC, while some are a mixture of both. What a person is prescribed is dependent on the condition they have.
In pharmaceutical cannabis products the active components (THC and CBD) are altered to maximise the drug’s therapeutic benefits and minimise side effects.2
What type of testing is best for your workplace?
Alcohol is a liquid depressant substance produced through the process of fermentation. The psychological and physiological dependence on alcohol is known as alcoholism and often result in chronic diseases and disruption of interpersonal and social relationships. When a person is under the influence of alcohol, their brain, central nervous system, liver, and heart are affected.
In Australia, alcohol is more than just a recreational drink. It is the most commonly consumed psychoactive, or mood-altering, drug that people enjoy, especially during parties and social events. In 2007, 41.3% of drinkers consumed alcohol on a weekly basis. It has been reported that the consumption of alcohol is the top contributing factor of deaths in Australia, being responsible for up to five per cent of all Australian workplace deaths and up to 11 per cent of non-fatal injuries. In addition, the misuse of alcohol costs Australian businesses billions of dollars every year through lost productivity and employee absenteeism.
Implementing workplace alcohol testing, as part of a robust drugs and alcohol policy, is a must to protect your business and improve the safety of your employees.
A simple BAC (Breath Alcohol Concentration) test with a breathalyser is the easiest and most effective means of testing for the presence of alcohol. The breathalyser used by DSW conforms to Australian Standards and is used by some law enforcement agencies. Whilst many businesses now have their own BAC units and have trained staff to use them according to the Standard, DSW provides this service free of charge with all drug tests.
What type of testing is best for your workplace?
Oral testing is relatively quick, is non-invasive and the technology for oral fluid drug testing has improved significantly over the years and it is now a popular method for a variety of drug testing needs.
Oral fluid drug testing has several advantages over traditional urine testing methods:
- Drug testing using saliva is quick, with results available in less than 5 minutes. This reduces downtime and allows more people to be tested in almost any environment without the need for access to restrooms.
- Saliva drug testing is non-intrusive and can be done virtually anywhere, providing greater benefits and meaning to the term ‘ random testing’.
- Testing using saliva is very accurate and the testing equipment used by DSW not only conforms to current Australian Standards but is world class technology.
- Saliva drug testing has been approved as a preferred method over urine drug testing by both industry groups and unions in many different industry sectors.
- The detection period for Saliva is shorter (1-2 days) than it is for Urine (2-3 days). This is of course dependant on a large number of factors, including frequency of use, quantity consumed and individual physical attributes. However, most businesses are only interested in the here and now, and need to be assured that on any given work day that the worker is fit to perform their duties safely for both their own and other’s safety.
- Another great advantage of saliva testing is that there is very limited opportunity for an Oral sample to be contaminated or adulterated under the very strict testing regime conducted by our trained staff
What type of testing is best for your workplace?
The decision about a suitable workplace drug testing method can be a difficult one for many safety-sensitive industries. More than 80% of industries have traditionally adopted Urine testing as the base requirement for their employee drug screening program, although this has been shifting in recent times as the technology for Oral testing devices has improved immensely.
However, the testing of Urine samples has also improved and has had to adapt to the ever increasing number of creative ways that illegal drug suppliers have found to manufacture synthetic variants of popular recreational drugs when supply has been restricted or profits squeezed.
The advantages of Urine testing include:
- A longer detection period in urine samples provides employers with increased awareness of employee behaviour and can be an indicator for planning the frequency of a workplace testing program.
- Urine samples are easier to extract samples for confirmatory laboratory testing when required. (Many companies will require employees to provide a Urine sample if they produce a non-negative Oral test result).
- Urine samples can provide other useful data for managing employee welfare, such as an indication of personal hydration levels (especially in hot and physically demanding environments).
The disadvantages of Urine testing include:
- Urine testing is more invasive and requires access to restrooms
- Urine samples are more easily interfered with and must be more closely monitored
- Urine samples require a higher level of sanitation in handling and storage
- Urine testing may take longer when the ability to provide a sample causes delays and further anxiety in the donor.
The Medical Cannabis Controversy….
To understand the differences between ‘recreational’, ‘medicinal’ and ‘synthetic’ cannabis it’s first important to understand a bit about the main chemicals in cannabis.
Cannabinoids are the chemicals which give the cannabis plant its medicinal or recreational properties. Cannabinoids like THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) work by interacting with different receptors in the body to produce the various effects, such as feeling ‘high’ or alleviating nausea.
THC is the cannabinoid that has a psychoactive effect (meaning it produces a ‘high’) whereas, CBD does not. CB1 receptors are found in high concentrations in the brain, and are the pathways that are responsible for the psychoactive effects of THC. The reason that CBD is non-psychoactive is due to its lack of connection or rather affinity with CB1 receptors.
Synthetic Cannabinoids
Synthetic cannabinoids are human-made mind-altering chemicals that are either sprayed on dried, shredded plant material so they can be smoked or sold as liquids to be vaporized and inhaled in e-cigarettes and other devices. These products are also known as herbal or liquid incense.
These chemicals are called cannabinoids because they are similar to chemicals found in the marijuana plant. Because of this similarity, synthetic cannabinoids are sometimes misleadingly called synthetic marijuana (or fake weed), and they are often marketed as safe, legal alternatives to that drug. In fact, they are not safe and may affect the brain much more powerfully than marijuana; their actual effects can be unpredictable and, in some cases, more dangerous or even life-threatening.
Recreational Cannabis
In Australia, recreational cannabis usually comes in the form of the dried leaves and flowers of the plant. It is usually smoked or eaten. Recreational cannabis use, or smoking cannabis for medical reasons, is still prohibited in Australia.
Users can become dependent on or addicted to marijuana, just as someone can with alcohol and tobacco. A person is dependent on marijuana when they have withdrawal symptoms. Someone is addicted to the drug when the drug use interferes with many aspects of life but they still can’t stop using it. Drug use may affect their finances, school work, and social life.
Medicinal cannabis
In comparison, medicinal cannabis is a product/s that is prescribed by a GP or specialist to relieve the symptoms of a medical condition, such as epilepsy. Some medicinal cannabis products are only CBD, some only THC, while some are a mixture of both. What a person is prescribed is dependent on the condition they have.
In pharmaceutical cannabis products the active components (THC and CBD) are altered to maximise the drug’s therapeutic benefits and minimise side effects.2
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