Drug use rife in Australian workfroce

[freddie]

Drug use rife in Australian workforce

Article from: The Daily Telegraph

 

 

By Brad Watts

 

March 24, 2008 03:21am

 

* One in eight tests positive for drugs

* Compulsory drug tests an 'invasion of privacy'

* Related story More health and living news

 

ONE in eight Australians are testing positive to drugs at work - a rate that has more than doubled over the past decade.

 

More than 5 per cent of employees are also abusing illicit drugs in high-risk jobs, according to new statistics obtained by The Daily Telegraph.

 

The number of positive tests is expected soar up to a quarter of employees in some industries, drug experts also warned yesterday, with cannabis abuse accounting for more than 90 per cent of positive results.

 

This trend has also prompted Australia's largest drug testing organisation Medvet laboratories - which conducts 100,000 alcohol and drug tests a year - to demand the federal and state governments legislate for compulsory drug testing with urine samples in high-risk industries, which has been scoffed at by unions.

 

Medvet spokesman Steve Korkoneas said governments must enshrine compulsory urine drug testing into the Occupational Health and Safety Act however unions have objected.

 

"They do it for sports, so why not do it for workplaces - there is a much bigger problem in the wider community," he said.

 

A spokeswoman for Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard said it was a state issue.

 

Serious concern has also been raised that only 8 per cent of workplaces - including the transport, mining and construction sectors - are regularly drug tested compared to about 80 per cent in the US.

 

"It's a huge concern in the workplace but a lot of employers are now having a urine drug and alcohol testing program," Mr Korkoneas said.

 

"At any given time, the positive drug rate using urine testing is 13 to 15 per cent. It could be extremely higher if more tests were conducted."

 

The rate has more than double over the past 10 years and could soar to almost 25 per cent in the next few years, he said.

 

ACTU assistant secretary Geoff Fary said compulsory tests were an invasion of privacy.

 

"There should not be open slather testing of employees or whenever they feel like it," Mr Fary said.

 

A spokesman for Industrial Relations Minister John Della Bosca said for people employed in safety-critical roles such as bus, ferry and train drivers, it was appropriate for testing to occur.

 

"In other industries, there is nothing to stop the establishment of a voluntary workplace drug testing policy," he said.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/stor...5005941,00.html

 

Medvet trying to drum up more business.

 

Urine tests do not mean someone is necessarily stoned at work. Join a union.

[Rocker]

If they are going to start this type of bullshit testing then start with Medvet staff. Test each and every one of them from the top to the bottom.

Then test all the 'testers'.

Next test the entire police force and all that work for the police.

Finally, test all politicians at all levels of government.

Make the results public.

 

If it's good for the goose it's good for the gander.

 

Yes, and Medvet is there for one reason only: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

[loylty gets u nothing]

be fucked if id piss in a cup for any cunt

voluntary..pmsl not from me

lets hope its not taken too seriously..

all the best

bil

[spaceleaf]

I get tested reguraly at work ,as i work in heavy industry but their are ways of beating the tests....I just recently bought some stuff called "Quick fix";it's a synthetic urine .costs a bit but definatly worth it....www.youreinluck.com or visit your local hydro shop,most of them would sell it i reckon..

[humphrey b flaubert]

How about we start breath testing politicians and cops before and after they start work? Alcohol is a far bigger problem than drugs.

And the bias language in that report just makes me sick, notice how they call it cannabis abuse instead of cannabis use?

 

If anything these test show just how many people are smoking dope, if we lived in a democracy and more than 50% of the voting population is using an illegal drug, that is a pretty good case for legalisation

[WantDaChronic]

those bastards are just trying to make more money

 

personally though i do believe some jobs should be kept drug free with a zero tolerance policy, but only for professions where people can be hurt or killed such as the drivers for any form of public transport. anyone else who works in an office, grocery store, etc. should never be drug tested as part of their employment conditions because as long as they dont turn upto work off their heads what business is it of their employers to interfere with their private lives?

 

but hey if they want to do a trial testing everyone in a given profession on a weekly basis they can always test the politicians, police, intelligence agencies, CEO's, bank managers and most importantly everyone who works for a drug testing company

[Luke Skywalker]

When they test the people who can send us to war or enforce the law, then I'll consider it.

[bufo marinus]

I had the misfortune to be walking past a tv the other day and seen this topic on 7 Sunrise.

 

What a load of shit

 

The 'experts' discussing this were the usual tv personalities, some blonde chick who was ummmm??? nobody, and John Mangos?

I can't remember exactly the crap that was coming out of his and her mouths but it was certainly enough for me to give him the finger, via the tv and walk away from the stupid thing.

It's been about 18 months now since I watched any tv much(mines not even connected anymore ) as it makes me feel insulted and annoyed listening to the sales cons and other assorted rubbish/shit. The lazy media are getting predictably worse when it comes to beating up an 'evil drugs' story

[snowboardin_stoner]

I have to do the testing all the time! Im an electrician working up in the coal mines in QLD. It annoys the crap out of me that i am not able to enjoy smoking on my days off, at night etc... While i can understand and fully appreciate why smoking while at work should be frowned upon (the size of machine's are huge) i do believe its an invasion of my privacy to restrict what i can or cant do in my own time.

 

The funniest thing about it most miners take alot harder and more dangerous drugs just because they are out of your system quicker... go figure :-)

[mullray]

Without giving to much away about myself I worked in science for many years and have conducted analysis on quite a few things including piss tests for drugs. Beating these tests is relatively easy (unless they've changed them). Never mind the overpriced piss clearing/masking agents that you pay a fortune for - here's a simple way of beating the test for mj. Drink shitloads of water 2 days prior to the test. They however test for dilution and if your piss is too dilute you have to retest. So, how do they know its to dilute??? Creatine, and vitamins and minerals. So you need to swallow plenty of vitamin B complex, vitamin C, and vitamin E with creatine added about two hours before your test to mask that you have diluted the hell out of your piss. Give it a go - it has worked for me many times:-)

 

Yes, powders such as amphetamines clear in about two days. I think opiates are about 2 - 4 days so piss testing encourages people to use hard drugs and avoid being caught. Insane!