Drugs and Driving FAQs

Posted By Drug Test Australia

1. Who will be required to submit to a roadside drug test?

Any driver, motorcycle rider or supervising licence holder on a NSW road or road related area maybe required to undertake one or more oral fluid tests for the presence of the three illicit drugs.

Vehicle passengers other than supervisors of learner licence holders will not be required to undertake an oral fluid test.

Specific NSW Police operations will target heavy vehicle drivers.
Police will also target roads around venues used for ‘rave’ and dance parties, suspected by Police to be linked to drug driving. 

2. What drugs will be detected by roadside drug testing and why have these drugs been chosen?

Roadside drug testing will detect the following three illicit drugs:

• Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active component of cannabis.
• Methylamphetamine (‘ice’, ‘speed’, ‘crystal meth’ ‘base’ etc).
• Methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA or ‘ecstasy’).

These three drugs are known to be among the most prevalent illicit drugs used by drivers. 

A recent Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) study of drug driving in NSW revealed that of those who reported driving on drugs, the most common drug was cannabis at 81 per cent followed by ecstasy at 13 per cent and speed at 10 per cent.

Driving after using cannabis results in longer reaction times, alters distance and time perception, lowers concentration, coordination, alertness and ability to react, and narrows or blurs vision.

Driving after using stimulants such as ecstasy and speed/ice increases risk taking and aggressive driving, causes loss of concentration, and causes blurry or limited vision.

3. How long after using cannabis can delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) be detected?

Roadside drug testing technology will detect recent usage of cannabis by detecting delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in cannabis.

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) will be able to be detected for several hours after use of cannabis, though the exact time will vary, for example depending on the amount and potency of the cannabis used.

4. How long after consuming ecstasy or methylamphetamine (speed, ice etc) can these drugs be detected?

Roadside drug testing technology will detect recent usage of speed, ice and ecstasy. In some cases these drugs may be detected by roadside drug screening technology for up to 48 hours after use, though the exact time will vary depending for example on the amount taken, the potency of the drug (ie ice has a much higher potency than speed) and how the drugs have been taken.

5. Will delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from passive smoking be detected in oral fluid?

No. There is no evidence to suggest that any THC in the oral fluid as a result of passive smoking will be able to be detected by the oral fluid testing technology.

6. How will roadside drug testing work?

Police will conduct a preliminary oral fluid test through the window of your vehicle.

You will be required to lick the test pad of the device. A result will be known in about five minutes.

7. How long will an oral fluid test take?

A preliminary oral fluid test will take about five minutes.  

If you test negative to this test you will be able to drive away.

However, if you test positive to the first test you will have to get out of your vehicle and go with a Police officer to provide an oral fluid sample in the Police support vehicle.

In the Police truck you will provide a sample of your oral fluid, which will be tested using a different oral fluid screening device. This second test should take about 20 minutes.

If you test positive to this test you will be prohibited from driving for 24 hours by Police, and the remaining portion of your oral fluid sample from this test will be sent to the State’s analytical laboratory, the Division of Analytical Laboratories for confirmatory analysis.

8. Will I be required to leave my vehicle to undertake an oral fluid test?

No, not for the preliminary oral fluid test.  Police will conduct this first test through the window of your car.

However, if you test positive you will have to get out of your vehicle and go with a Police officer to provide a second oral fluid sample in the Police support vehicle.

9. What will happen to a driver who tests positive to the roadside drug test?

If you test positive to the preliminary oral fluid test you will have to get out of your vehicle and go with a Police officer to provide a second oral fluid sample in the Police support vehicle. 

In the Police support vehicle you will provide a sample of your oral fluid, which will be tested using a different oral fluid screening device. This second test should take about 20 minutes.  

If you test positive to this test you will not be charged at this time, however, you will be prohibited from driving for 24 hours by Police. The remaining portion of your second oral fluid test will be sent to a laboratory for confirmatory analysis. 

If the presence of one or more of these three drugs is confirmed by the laboratory, you will receive a Court Attendance Notice within a few weeks of your roadside drug test with the charge of driving with the presence of an illicit drug.

10. Will drivers who return positive result to a roadside drug test be allowed to drive before laboratory analysis of the test is complete?

If you test positive to this test you will not be charged at this time, however, you will be prohibited from driving for 24 hours by Police.
After this 24 hour period you can resume driving.

11. For drivers who return positive results to roadside drug test, when and how will they receive results from laboratory analyses?

If the presence of one or more of an illicit drug is confirmed by the laboratory, you will receive a Court Attendance Notice within a few weeks of your roadside drug test with the charge of driving with the presence of an illicit drug.

The Court Attendance Notice will include the details of the charge as well as the time, date and location of their court attendance.  

You will have to attend court, which will be local to the location of the offence, to face the charge of drive with the presence of an illicit drug.

12. Will medications be detected by roadside drug tests? 

The oral fluid test will not detect the presence of prescription drugs including medicines with amphetamine–like substances or common over the counter medications, such as cold and flu tablets.

Oral fluid tests will only detect delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) the active component in cannabis, methylamphetamine (speed, ice, crystal meth, base) and methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA) ecstasy - substances that are not legally prescribed in Australia.

13. Why is oral fluid tested rather than blood or urine?

Collecting oral fluid from drivers at the roadside is much easier than collecting a blood or urine sample.

Oral fluid testing devices are a non-invasive, rapid and reliable way to screen for drugs at the roadside.

14. How accurate is the oral fluid drug screening technology?

The oral fluid test is a screening test only.  Oral fluid drug screening technology provides a reliable indicative result in a matter of minutes, making it ideal for use as a roadside screening device but not for an evidentiary result to be used at court.

Those who are screened as being drug positive will be required to provide a further additional oral fluid sample for further testing.

Only a positive drug result from the Government’s analytical laboratory can be used to prosecute for a drug driving offence.

15. What are the penalties if the laboratory confirms the presence of one or more of the three illicit drugs in your oral fluid sample?

The penalty for a first offence is a maximum $1,100 fine and three (minimum) to six months (maximum) licence disqualification.  

The penalty for a second or subsequent offence is a maximum $2,200 fine and licence disqualification for minimum six months up to an unlimited period.

16. What happens if a driver refuses to be tested?

If a person refuses to be tested at the roadside they can be fined $1,100. They will also have to accompany a Police officer to the Police truck where they will have to provide a sample of their oral fluid.

If they refuse to provide an oral fluid sample a maximum fine of $3,300 applies, plus licence disqualification for a minimum of six months up to an unlimited period.

A driver who refuses to be tested can also be prohibited from driving for 24 hours by Police.

17. What happens if I am unable to provide an oral fluid sample?

A person who has genuinely attempted but is unable to provide a sample of their oral fluid will be required by Police to provide a sample of blood in lieu of an oral fluid sample.

The person will be taken by Police to a hospital to have the blood sample taken. The state’s analytical laboratory will analyse the sample for the presence of any drug.

If they refuse to provide a blood sample then a maximum $3,300 fine applies. 

18. Don’t stimulants such as methylamphetamine (speed, ice, crystal meth, base) make you a more alert driver?

While methylamphetamine, in its various forms, can increase your alertness they can also cause you to: 

• Take more risks. 
• Drive aggressively. 
• Believe you drive better than you really can.
• Be overstimulated and lose concentration. 
• Have blurry or limited vision. 
• See things on the road that aren’t where you think they are. 
• Have scattered thoughts or delusions.

Driving when you’re coming down is also very dangerous.  When the effects of stimulants are wearing off your driving is still affected. You may fall asleep at the wheel.

19. Will oral fluid samples be destroyed when the evidentiary drug analysis is complete?

No, the remaining proportion will be stored at the laboratory for six months.
This is so a person can apply for a portion of their own sample to be independently analysed by another laboratory at their own expense.

20. What about other illicit drugs?

Drivers found to be impaired by any illicit drug can currently be prosecuted under existing Police powers for the drive under the influence offence.

There is also a new offence of drive with the presence of cocaine or morphine (heroin) in blood or urine; however drivers will not be randomly tested for these drugs using a roadside drug test.

21. Can drivers be charged with both drug and alcohol offences?

Yes. It will be possible for a person to be prosecuted for a prescribed concentration of alcohol offence as well as an offence of presence of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active component of cannabis, methylamphetamine (‘ice’, ‘speed’, ‘crystal meth’ ‘base’ etc) and methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA or ‘ecstasy’).

However, if a person is prosecuted for a drive under the influence offence, they cannot also be prosecuted for a prescribed concentration of alcohol offence or presence of drugs offence.

22. If a driver tests positive to drugs will they be searched, or have their vehicles or property searched?

Police already have the power to search persons and vehicles for drugs or other items if they have reasonable grounds to suspect evidence of an offence may be found there.

In most cases, no search will occur. However, there could be evidence of drug or other offences apparent to police administering the test. In these circumstances they have the power to conduct a search. 

For More Information, please contact Drug Test Australia at their website www.drugtestaustralia.com.au or call or email us at;

Email Enquiries: sales@drugtestaustralia.com.au

Phone Enquiries: 1300 660 636 or (02)49203225

Original Article; http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/alcoholdrugs/drugdriving/drugdrivingfaqs.html

Synthetic Pot (Kronic) Sends Thousands to Hospital : US Report

Posted By Drug Test Australia

The Drug Abuse Warning Network says drugs like Spice and K2, marketed as legal, fake pot and labelled as herbal incense, are sending teenagers and young adults to emergency rooms around the country.

In 59% of the cases, doctors found no other substance, differing from most emergency department visits involving illicit drugs.



K2, Spice and other synthetic drugs that mimic a marijuana high sent 11,406 people -- mostly teenagers and young adults -- to the emergency room in 2010, according to the first report on the substances from the federal government's Drug Abuse Warning Network.

The report, the first to analyse the impact of the popular herbal incense, found that children ages 12 to 17 accounted for a third of the emergency room visits. Young adults ages 18 to 24 accounted for an additional 35%.

In 59% of the cases involving patients ages 12 to 29, doctors found no other substance, differing from most emergency department visits involving illicit drugs and painkiller abuse.

Marijuana, the most popular illicit drug with 18 million regular users, sent 461,028 people to the emergency room in 2010.

"This report confirms that synthetic drugs cause substantial damage to public health and safety," Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske said.

Spice and K2, marketed as legal, fake pot and labelled as herbal incense, emerged in 2009 as popular drugs among teens and college students, who could buy the substances online and in convenience stores.

Problems quickly emerged. Doctors reported teenagers arriving in the emergency room with high fevers and strange behaviour.

Police in Nebraska in 2010 arrested a teenage boy who had smoked Wicked X, herbal incense coated with synthetic Cannabinoids  The teen careened his truck into the side of a house and then continued driving.

At least 18 states outlawed the substances and the Drug Enforcement Administration instituted an emergency ban. In July, Congress banned sales of K2, Spice and other synthetic drugs under the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act.

By Donna Leinwand Leger 

December 8, 2012 8:52AM

Original http://www.cio-today.com/news/Synthetic-Pot-Sickens-Thousands/story.xhtml?story_id=020002GO886G&full_skip=1

For more information, please contact Drug Test Australia

www.drugtestaustralia.com.au

Phone. 1300 660 636

Email. sales@drugtestaustralia.com.au

'Faking It' Products being used to 'pass' drug tests

With drug testing and pre-employment medical screening becoming more commonplace in workplaces in Australia, especially within heavy industry as well as by police on roadside stops, a cottage industry has sprung up around products which assist users to 'pass' drug tests.

With names like 'Pass It', 'Ultimate Detox' and the like, products that are now being manufactured and sold online and in shops locally, with the express purpose to help consumers 'pass' drug tests.

How did this become a phenomenon? What is in these products? Do they actually work? We at Drug Test Australia took a closer look at the situation....

Products

The most common of these types of products found were 'Detox Drinks', not to be confused with health food stores' fruit-based products, these drinks are purported to 'cleanse' and 'remove unwanted substances from the urine', with some claiming to work in just one hour.

                                                              

The other main type of masking agents are 'Synthetic Urine', which is touted as 'premixed laboratory urine' which is purported to 'contain all the ingredients normally found in urine and is balanced for pH, specific gravity, creatinine, and several other urine characteristics.' These products are meant to be used in place of urine in urine tests.

Detox drinks main aim is to 'clean out' the system, with a goal of 'flushing out' drug metabolites from the system before they can be detected in a urine drug test.

The other type of these drinks aims to 'hold drug metabolites' in the body, allowing urine to pass through to testing without these metabolites present in the sample.



Synthetic urine products are meant to be carried by the user on their person before a drug test, so that they can pretend to urinate, while filling the test with synthetic urine. These are used with 'heat pads' to bring the sample up to body temperature, a key indicator in all effective urine drug test kits. The pads are meant to be worn under the clothes, to heat the bottle of synthetic urine.


While the above products aim to mask drug use in urine tests, interestingly, there are also now products available which claim to help the user pass a saliva drug test. These products come in the form of a mouth wash, which claims to leave 'no traces of unwanted residues' in the saliva. It claims to be effective for removing residue of Marijuana, Cocaine, Opiates, Methamphetamine, Amphetamines and prescription drugs.



Two other items worthy of note are shampoo's available, that tout being effective in 'passing' hair follicle drug tests, and urine additives.

                                                           
Hair follicle testing being a new and not very widely used technology in drug testing in Australia, takes a sample hair follicle for the test. This testing has been shown to detect drugs in the system up to 90 days.

Urine additives are purported to 'destroy drug metabolites in urine', the product claims to 'change the molecular structure' of the compound, and is poured straight into a urine sample, to 'fool' GC/MS (Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the instrument used to test samples in a laboratory, as with confirmation samples following a positive test result).

Availability

These products are available from online stores in Australia, as well as retail locations around the country. Their disclaimer is usually "not intended for use on lawfully administered drug tests and is to be used in accordance with all federal and state laws."

Detox drinks retails for around AUD $50-$60, synthetic urine at $70-$80, with the mouthwash at around $50.


Effectiveness

By looking at a wide variety of the types of products on the market, we can examine which would most effective.

Saliva testing

Saliva testing aims to pick up residue of drugs in the oral fluid. Commonly a mouth swab is inserted, and oral fluid collected from the inside of the mouth, cheeks and tongue. The approximate detection time for oral fluid varies with drug classes, but is typically a 6-12 hour window (if drugs were consumed in this period the test will show). Tests with positive results are to be sent fro confirmation testing using GC-MS.

The product intended to remove and 'mask' drug residue in the mouth, a mouth wash, if used correctly and if containing a high alcohol solution, could in theory 'pass' a drug test.

The problem is; that when an individual is selected for a random test, usually there is no time to swill and rinse with mouth wash, which would be quite obvious to all involved, rendering this product ineffective.

Urine Testing

Urine testing is based on based on immunoassay rapid test methods, and also relies on GC-MS fro confirmation of positive samples. The detection period varies between drug classes, and can be up to 30 days for THC in heavy users.

Synthetic Urine is effective in passing a drug test, provided that adulterants are not detected by the device (many have built in) and the temperature is correct. So if a subject is willing to place a large bottle of fake urine and a heating element down their pants, heat the urine to body temp, and pour it into the test without being detected by the drug tester, then they may pass this time.

Current Situation

Currently in Australia there are employees using these products to attempt to 'pass' drug tests. These products are easily available for purchase from retailers locally or for home delivery from online stores.

Drug testing training courses now include sections on identifying and preventing adulteration of tests by  test subjects. Also, any tester that is drug testing regularly, and keenly observes their surrounds should be able to catch these cheaters.

Even if an individual passes the test once, they will be caught the second or third time they attempt to use these methods. These are not by any means fool-proof methods, and the consequences for employees faking a test can be severe.

Random selection testing (drug testing a random sample of the employee body) as well as reasonable suspicion testing (drug testing after reasonable suspicion that an employee is impaired by drugs) will eventually 'catch' these employees, who will then have to face discipline within the organisation, or in the case of pre-employment tests, will never be offered a position in the company again.

We should be aware of these products on the market, and take appropriate measures to ensure they do not affect test results.

For more information on this or related issues, or to find out about our Australian Standard testing equipment contact us at Drug Test Australia;

Email; sales@drugtestaustralia.com.au
Website; drugtestaustralia.com.au
Phone; 1300 660 636

Abuse vs. Addiction

Interview with Paul Karras – Hunterlink Recovery Services

Last week I caught up with Paul Karras, from Hunterlink Recovery Services. I met with Paul to get a better understanding of drugs and addiction, substance abuse and their effect on people in Australia, and we discussed many topics, chief among them substance abuse and addiction.

Paul Karras has 10 years experience with The Salvation Army as a senior counsellor in Dual Diagnosis, with emphasis on Addiction and Mental Health. With a wealth of experience and information on Drug use, addiction, patterns and recovery, who better to talk to about Substance Abuse and addiction?

Why do people use drugs?

A frequently asked question; in Paul’s breadth of experience the most common answer is ‘it makes me feel good’.

Drugs; be they alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, depressants, stimulants or psychoactive; all have a common effect on users…….The effect of a ‘numbing’ anaesthesia.

This means the user is 'numbed’ to the world around them. This means they don’t have to deal with their problems……. they are numb to them. They don’t have to experience the emotion, the depth or breadth of issues that a person may feel, as the drug numbs them to the outside world, reality, and all the harsh things in it.

Abuse vs. Addiction

One of the key themes that were present in my talk with Paul was Abuse vs. addiction, and how this plays out in people’s lives. The two are not mutually exclusive, but there is a clear distinction.

Within abuse of substances, there are great variations in patterns of use, frequency, amount etc.

Using Marijuana as an example, we can say that within the spectrum of people that use this drug, some are; very frequent (everyday); some less frequent and some perhaps only on few occasions per year, and then everything in between. This makes for a very broad spectrum of users of this drug.

Within this spectrum lie many different types of users with different reasons for their use. Some could be considered a more social user, one that consumes only when in an ‘appropriate’ situation, or with peers. Another on the other ends of the scale; may use the drug frequently when alone and not in social situations.

Using alcohol as an example, we could say that a social user is someone that seldom drinks, and then only on occasions when friends/colleagues are also enjoying a few. On the other end of the spectrum, someone that is abusing the substance may do so when not in a socially accepted situation, or at home alone, and in high quantity or frequency.

When we come to discuss addiction, we can say that abusers can be addicts, but that not all abusers are addicts. Drug addiction or substance dependence is a complex issue. There are many factors at play;

·         It can be agreed that addiction is a compulsive behaviour that originates in the unconscious mind.

·         Addiction can be inherited, through genetics and family background.

·         Many people with addictions may have other psychiatric disorders, which complicates matters.

·         Addiction can be classified as with physiological dependence, or without.

Addiction is a progressive illness, it is not static. An addict of a certain substance will use an amount, and when this amount no longer has the desired effect, they will up the amount. This has the effect of leading to an increased tolerance to the drug, and an escalation of need.

There are also a whole host of other issues including; cultural factors, peer pressure, social norms and psychological issues. These will not be discussed here in detail, but enough to acknowledge that these and other factors all combine to make this a complex issue.

Drug Dependence

Drug dependence means that a person needs a drug to function normally. Abruptly stopping the drug leads to withdrawal symptoms. Drug addiction is the compulsive use of a substance, despite its negative or dangerous effects.

There is much contention over whether cannabis is addictive or not. In Paul’s years of experience, it very much is.

Reliance on substances is a mental reliance. It is a coping mechanism, a living process that leaves users with a lack of coping skills, beyond reaching for their ‘crutch’.

When a person with dependence does not consume the drug, the effect is called detox. Heroin, Methamphetamine and certain other drugs, when not consumed, will result in a period of withdrawal, or detox.

According to Paul, the detox period for heavy users of opiates (heroin etc.), amphetamines etc. varies, but should be no longer than 5 days. For marijuana, though the period can be significantly longer. A  physiological dependence may not be present, but a mental dependence is. Detoxification for users of higher amounts of drugs is always worse; more prolonged, more traumatic.

From my conversations with Paul, he was able to give me some very good information on drugs of abuse and substance addiction, changing some of my preconceived notions about abuse and addiction, and giving me a real insight into addiction and substance abuse.

Hunterlink Recovery Services provide a vital link in support, recovery and welfare services available to the community and for workers and their families nationwide; they help with recovery of people with Substance abuse and other issues such as problem gambling, anxiety and depression. They work in conjunction with employers with established Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as well as members of the community. A link to their website can be found here http://hunterlink.org.au/

Original Article by Drug Test Australia

For more information please contact us;

Phone: 1300 660 636

Email: sales@drugtestaustralia.com.au

Website: Drug Test Australia

Lack of testing leads to Kronic problem: NZ Emergency Doctor

Posted by Drug Test Australia

Original; Emma Dawe, The Southland Times; http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/5264514/Lack-of-testing-leads-to-Kronic-problem-emergency-doctor

An emergency physician believes people are using party drugs, including Kronic, under the misguided belief they have been rigorously tested by authorities.

Paul Gee, from Christchurch Hospital, said that was not the case at all and party drugs were actually in a "twilight zone" between legal and illegal drugs because they were not covered by legislation.

"They're not a named drug covered by legislation. Nor are they a food, so they escape legislation covering foods.

"They're being slickly marketed and people are buying them not realising they've never been tested before in humans."

Speaking at the winter symposium of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine held in Queenstown yesterday, Dr Gee called for the onus to be put on manufacturers to prove new psychotropic drugs were safe.

"At present we have to wait until people reach intensive care before there is any action."

The herbal ingredients in the products were mixed with unlisted synthetic Cannabinoids that had been declared illegal in some countries but were unregulated in New Zealand.

Dr Gee said he was seeing more patients affected by the drugs – those patients were showing symptoms similar to those of people using cannabis, such as drowsiness, increased heart rate and feelings of euphoria.

Those symptoms were what doctors had expected, but what was not expected were the amphetamine-type symptoms some party drug users were displaying, including seizures, he said.

"We've seen some people probably close to unconsciousness," he said.

While it was too soon to determine what the long-term effects of using the drugs were, Dr Gee said there was evidence prolonged cannabis use could lead to long-term memory loss, and there was no reason why that would not be the case for the prolonged use of party drugs.

Dr Gee said his main concern was nobody had done any scientific research on the drugs.

While any new food or medicine was stringently tested before being licensed for consumption in New Zealand, the chemicals in these substances were not.

"It basically amounts to experimentation but without the upside of gathering any information."

Meanwhile, former Central Otago District Mayor Malcolm Macpherson is calling for people to join him in a footpath demonstration outside the only shop in Alexandra selling Kronic – C&C Traders.

Mr Macpherson said there was no justification for the owner to sell Kronic, and other products that exposed the community to health risks.

C&C Traders owner Bill Clements said he was being "pushed into a corner" for no reason, as the products were not to blame for the problems parents were having with their teenagers.

Contact us at Drug Test Australia
Website; www.drugtestaustralia.com.au
Email; Sales@drugtestaustralia.com.au
Phone; 1300 660 636