INTERNATIONAL DRUG TESTING BY KIRK HARDY, CEO THE DRUG DETECTION AGENCY (TDDA) AUSTRALASIA
Unprecedented Methamphetamine Epidemic Sweeps Australia and New Zealand
Multi-billion dollar cost to Australasian businesses, and community services, in staffing, and health and rehabilitation costs
A
ustralia is facing an unprecedented methamphetamine (street name ‘ICE’) epidemic with the effects
also being felt in New Zealand (street name ‘P’). It’s a scourge reaching across all demographics of society, from lower socio-economic to white-collar workers and its use is growing at an alarming rate. To combat the drug use, Australian police
are pushing for stronger powers to search people for drugs and more rehabilitation programs as statistics reveal that in Queensland, for example, some rehabilitation services are reporting that 9 out of 10 people seeking help is for ICE use. Te Australian Drug Foundation is citing figures showing that the number of ICE users in Australia is almost 8 times the United States level and almost 5 times the United Kingdom. In New Zealand, Police and Customs
seizures of methamphetamine has tripled in 2015 from the previous year and traffickers appear to be atempting larger shipments into New Zealand. In the last six months alone, Customs has intercepted a record $246 million worth of methamphetamine at the border. (Full story published on
TVNZ.co.nz, July 22 2015). Customs is also intercepting shipments
of methamphetamine coming into New Zealand bound for other destinations. As the result of a recent joint operation between New Zealand Customs and New Zealand, Fijian and Australian Police, Customs based at Ports of Auckland discovered an $80 million methamphetamine shipment bound for Fiji. (Full article published on
stuff.co.nz, August 10 2015). As a result of methamphetamine
use, workplace accidents are costing businesses and community services
60 datia focus
billions of dollars a year. These accidents are causing not only harm to the drug users themselves but also to workmates and others in the community. In Australia alone, Government figures state that drug and alcoholism is costing Australian companies an estimated $6 billion in lost productivity. Staff using drugs, such as cannabis
and methamphetamine, are then doing their job with clouded judgements, with drug use affecting their ability to make sound decisions. Tis then brings into question whether someone showing methamphetamine use would be more prone to possibly commiting fraud or some form of criminal activity at work; the answer is “yes.” (Extract fom article published in Australasian Lawyer, September 2015). Methamphetamine use isn’t confined
to lower socio-economic, criminal type people in the community; it’s reaching across all demographics, including ‘”white-collar” workers, a realization that is being acknowledged by both police and professional bodies. For example in New Zealand an
increasing number of law firms are drug testing job hopefuls amidst the rising number of highly publicized incidents involving lawyers using or selling drugs. Law firm partners are increasingly concerned about the potential reputational damage that might stem from a lawyer geting caught up in a drug related scandal. There is a real concern amongst these
professional sectors that employees engaging in drug use are exposing firms to some very big risks; this is potentially increased when you have employees that
Winter 2016
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