Miscellaneous | Integrity Sampling

Miscellaneous

While you can contest a drug testing charge, there is still no way to pass drug testing… Apart from abstinence. Credit Chuck Grimmett https://www.flickr.com/photos/cagrimmett/6307374507/

How to pass drug testing… After you’ve failed!

February 24, 2021February 24, 2021MichaelLeave a comment

We have said before in our blogs that there are really only two ways to pass drug testing. They are not to take drugs in the first place or, if you do take drugs, make sure you allow plenty of time before you drive a car or go to work. However, there is a...

Drug testing rates of parents in South Australia are on the rise. Credit ‘and the rest’ https://bit.ly/2MBsNxq

Drug testing in South Australia on the rise

February 10, 2021February 10, 2021MichaelLeave a comment

Drug testing is on the increase in South Australia, but the news doesn’t relate to our roadsides or our workplaces. The drug testing in SA is being completed by child protection authorities and involves parents. An article in the Sunday Mail recently shed light on the testing, which has tripled in the past two...

Miscellaneous

It’s not always obvious that an employee could be drunk or under the influence of drugs.

New alcohol guidelines hard to swallow

December 24, 2020December 23, 2020MichaelLeave a comment

While the timing of this post isn’t perhaps great, on Christmas Eve and with New Years Eve just around the corner, it’s important to know that there is new advice on how much alcohol you should drink for your health. According to an article in The New Daily, drinking can come with serious consequences...

Miscellaneous

Alcohol testing on the Gold Coast will catch you if you drink and drive, operate a boat or go to work.

Staying safe on our waterways

December 16, 2020December 16, 2020MichaelLeave a comment

An excellent article on the Queensland Police website. And a good reminder that if you drink and take drugs, don’t drive, go to work or operate a boat… In recent weeks Queensland Water Police have been deployed to a few rescues off the coast of Townsville. As we count down the sleeps until Christmas...

You can refuse drug testing on our roads and in our workplaces, but that doesn’t mean you should. Credit letr Victoria https://www.flickr.com/photos/129656458@N07/48278068176/

You can refuse drug testing but should you?

December 9, 2020December 9, 2020MichaelLeave a comment

As we’ve highlighted before in our blogs, you can absolutely refuse drug testing on our roads and in our workplaces, but that doesn’t mean you should. This comes on the back of an article in the Shepparton News about a man who refused drug testing after being stopped by the Seymour Highway Patrol. He...

Miscellaneous

If you’ve taking drugs recently and get asked to take place in workplace drug testing, what are the chances of you failing the test? Credit machfive https://bit.ly/34P73Tz

The sinking feeling of workplace drug testing

October 13, 2020October 13, 2020MichaelLeave a comment

When has been your most embarrassing and guilty moment? For some, it’s seeing blue flashing lights and glancing down to see they’re over the speed limit. For others, it’s getting caught cheating on an exam. While for some, it’s standing in line for random workplace drug testing, knowing they have recently used drugs. If...

Miscellaneous

Credit Kate Ausburn https://bit.ly/2EMfeHi

Police out in force for long weekend

October 1, 2020October 1, 2020MichaelLeave a comment

According to an article in the Singleton Argus, drivers are being urged to slow down this long weekend in NSW. In the article, Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said police will be out in force across the state with high-visibility deployments for Operation Slowdown. And it won’t just be on the...

Miscellaneous

The change that requires those who want to purchase painkillers containing codeine to see a doctor for a prescription, instead of purchasing over the counter, appears to have resulted in a reduction in the number of positive workplace drug testing results for opiates. Codeine is an opioid drug that is closely related to morphine, and other medications, as well as the illicit drug heroin. The codeine change, which was introduced in Australia on 1 February this year, was brought in to reduce the harm caused by overuse and abuse of codeine specifically and opiates in general. Another key reason for the change was the lack of evidence to show that codeine medications are any more effective for pain relief, colds, flus and other ailments than similar medications that don’t have the same harmful effects as codeine. As we’ve mentioned in the past in our blog, the use of codeine medications can result in positive workplace drug testing results. This is particularly the case when the drug is taken above recommended dosages, either inadvertently or deliberately. So, has the change reduced the number of positive opiate results? In short, yes. Integrity Sampling has compared workplace drug testing results from testing carried out in Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania in specific industries between April and August 2017, against the same period and involving the same industries in 2018. The significance of this period is that it is the traditional cold and flu season and is the period when opiate positive results have usually risen. While the sample size is relatively small (less than 5000) the results show that compared to 68 positive results for opiates during the April – August period in 2017, there were only 37 in 2018. That’s a significant reduction of around 46 per cent. During the same periods, cannabis and methamphetamine positives rose (46 positives in 2017 compared with 56 in 2018 for cannabis, and 56 positives in 2017 compared with 79 in 2018 for methamphetamines. As mentioned, the sample size is small and we’d like to see results in subsequent years before making any ground-breaking statements, but it is none-the-less an important drop and a positive step forward.

End of COVID-19 restrictions could be start of drug flood

September 3, 2020September 3, 2020MichaelLeave a comment

An article on LADBIBLE says there is one good thing about COVID-19 restrictions; it’s been keeping potentially deadly drugs out of Australia. That’s the good news. The bad news is that when the restrictions ease there may be a flood of drugs onto the Australian market and some of the drugs could wreak havoc....

Miscellaneous

What drug are you most likely to detect in workplace drug testing in WA? The photo provides a hint, but here’s another clue: that’s not a normal cigarette!

Australians’ drug and alcohol habits exposed

July 24, 2020July 24, 2020MichaelLeave a comment

According to an article in the West Australian, Australians are smoking less, still drinking dangerously high amounts and taking more drugs than they were three years ago. The article is based on an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare survey, which involved more than 22,000 Australians aged 14 and over. According to the article:...

Miscellaneous

ICE in our wastewater? There is good and bad news for workplace drug testing in Perth and WA, from the fifth report of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program.

Aussies turning to drugs

July 3, 2020July 3, 2020MichaelLeave a comment

Australian Associated Press has featured an alarming article that highlights that, “Australia’s toxic love affair with stimulants is in full bloom, driven by a relentless appetite for ice, samples from sewage treatment plants show.” The article uses as evidence the results from recent monitoring of wastewater from sites across Australia. They say the most...