A drop in positive drug tests would normally be a cause for optimism, but in this case the news has been tempered due to COVID-19. According to an article on nine.com.au, positive drug tests in Victorian prisons has dropped since visits were banned due to the Coronavirus pandemic on March 21. In fact, the...
Category: Drug testing
News and views on workplace drug testing
Medicinal cannabis and potential impacts on drug testing
Medicinal cannabis has been in the news again recently, with reports that the national medicines regulator is considering a new proposal on the drug’s use. What is the proposal, why has it got some people up in arms and what impact could the proposal have on drug testing if it’s passed? In a nutshell,...
Ballarat police tacking increased drug driving
An article in The Courier highlights the issues facing Ballarat police in combating drug driving, which is described as an increasing problem. In the article, Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Stuart Gale is quoted as saying drug driving is one of the regions top three issues and is regularly involved in injury and fatality road...
Roadside drug testing in Victoria extremely accurate
A senior police officer in Victoria has described the state’s roadside drug testing program as extremely accurate, in a press release to announce a new trial that will see drug drivers removed from the roads quicker. In a Victorian first, people who fail roadside drug testing for the first time will now be issued...
Workplace drug testing failing the test
Last week we brought you an article on the increase in failed workplace drug testing results in the United Kingdom, where one-in-four workers tested have provided positive results in the last three months. Well, it seems that the situation in the United States is not a lot better and while the UK results can...
Workplace drug use up during COVID-19
According to an article on the UK’s businessdesk.com, the use of drugs has soared among staff during the coronavirus lockdown. More than one-in-four UK workers have tested positive for drugs in the past three months, workplace drug testing has shown according to the article. The director of AlphaBiolabs, a worKplace drug testing firm in...
What can you do if you think an employee is high?
Imagine if you were a supervisor, manager or owner of a business and you suspected one of your employees was high on drugs. What can you do? What should you do? Should you demand workplace drug testing to confirm your suspicions? Wind back the clock before workplace drug testing This is a tough situation,...
MP calls for increased drug testing on roads in Victoria
As we alluded to in one of last week’s posts (see Policing the police with drug testing), many people would like to see less drug testing on our roads, but a Victorian MP disagrees, penning a media release stating why she believes that drug testing in Victoria should be increased. As well as calling...
Policing the police with drug testing
One of the regular comments on our Facebook page when we provide a report on drug testing – particularly roadside testing – is that the police should leave ‘innocent’, hard-working Australians alone and instead test themselves and law makers… Or words to that effect. More on the police and drug testing in Australia later...
Why is drug testing necessary?
National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2019 One of the common criticisms of police forces, governments and organisations like ours around Australia when it comes to drug testing is that it’s just revenue raising or that it’s picking on people unfairly. However, there is no shortage of evidence to support why roadside and workplace testing...