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Our new online store has new products available in Saliva Drug Testing and Urine Drug Testing and a range of Breathalysers, as well we have our AS 4760 compliant device ToxSure II.

We offer nationally accredited Training Packages for delivery onsite or in our office.

Because health and safety is important to us, we source only the highest quality testing equipment from the US and deliver unsurpassed service and procedures in accordance with AS/NZS ISO 9001:2008, AS ISO 15189:2009. Equipment detection cut-off levels (the ng/ml level of substance in the system) are compliant to AS/NZS4308:2008 and AS4760-2006 and non-negative specimens are assessed only at NATA approved laboratories.

  

                                                      

We provide information of Drugs and detection periods and Drug types, testing methods and drug testing standards

Drug Test Australia is committed to helping create safer workplaces and reducing the risks associated with alcohol and drugs of abuse.

We are a part of Hunter Healthcare Group, a corporate healthcare organisation with services spanning corporate immunisation, public and private hospitals, aged care nursing services and onsite occupational health.

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Safe Workplace versus Privacy and Human Rights; Companies push for random drug, alcohol testing

Two cases in Canada pit workplace safety against employee privacy and dignity

Two current high-profile legal cases, in which companies want to implement random testing of their employees for alcohol and/or drugs, may determine whether such testing expands in Canadian workplaces. At the centre of both cases is the need for a safe workplace versus privacy and human rights.

In New Brunswick, Irving Pulp and Paper wants employees at its mill operations to undergo random alcohol tests but the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP) is opposed. On Friday the case reached the Supreme Court of Canada.

In Alberta, Suncor Energy is trying to bring in a random drug and alcohol testing program for employees and contractors at its oilsands operations in Fort McMurray. The CEP is resisting Suncor's efforts, with an arbitration hearing that was scheduled for today postponed until Jan. 2.

The Supreme Court of Canada is reviewing a case which will determine whether Irving Pulp and Paper can implement a random alcohol testing program at its mill operations in New Brunswick. (Blair Gable/Canadian Press)

Calgary lawyer Birch Miller, who specializes in this area of law, writes that these cases will indicate "whether random alcohol and drug testing policies have a future in Canada."

Random drug testing arrived in Canada from the U.S., first for cross-border commercial truck and bus operations, as required by the U.S. government. In the U.S., where drug testing is federally regulated, random testing is prevalent everywhere, according to Peter Deines of CannAmm Occupational Testing Services, the largest occupational drug testing company in Canada.

Although they do have some clients in the U.S., as a Canadian company CannAmm can only long for the business opportunities in the U.S.

Random drug testing much more prevalent in U.S. than Canada

Drug testing is prevalent in only a few industries in Canada. In an addition to cross-border transport, there's energy production, heavy industrial construction, potash and industrial engineering, Deines explained in an interview with CBC News.

Peter Deines of CanAmm Occupational Testing Services says that drug testing is prevalent in only a few industries in Canada but is prevalent everywhere in the U.S.(Gregg Ingram/Courtesy CanAmm)

He explains that in Canada the testing is mostly limited to "very safety-sensitive oriented workplaces," whereas in the U.S. there is no similar safety limit. Even in retail, financial, manufacturing, education, and health, American workers undergo random drug testing.

"The amount of testing Wal-Mart does in the United States greatly exceeds the entire number of tests that are done in the Canadian market," Deines says.

In the U.S. companies say they test for reasons other than safety — to identify theft risk, employee reliability, improve productivity — while in Canada the courts have only accepted workplace safety as a legitimate reason to do drug testing.

"The tradeoff in Canada is between the privacy and human rights element and the duty to provide a safe workplace," Deines explains.

Drug and alcohol testing 'discriminatory'

The Canadian Human Rights Commission, which is appointed by Parliament, says in a policy paper on alcohol and drug testing that, "drug and alcohol testing are prima facie discriminatory."

Alcohol or drug dependence, whether past or current, is considered a disability. Canadian law prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.

The Commission adds that "discrimination based on the actual or perceived possibility that an individual may develop a drug or alcohol dependency in the future" is also prohibited.

However, "employers can justify discriminatory practices and rules if they are a bona fide occupational requirement."

Employers can test for drugs or alcohol when there is reasonable evidence of substance abuse, after an accident or incident where the employee's role may have been a contributing factor, and as follow-up testing after treatment for drug abuse.

The conundrum under Canadian law involves random testing.

The Commission accepts that truckers and commercial bus drivers can be subject to random testing. In other industries, important factors in determining if random testing may be done include whether employees are under direct supervision; whether less invasive alternatives exist to "determine whether employees in safety-sensitive positions are impaired on the job;" evidence of high incidence of drug use on the job; and if the employer has a rehabilitation program in place.

Drugs tests don't determine impairment

The Commission also draws a distinction between random testing for drugs versus alcohol. Noting that drug tests cannot measure whether a person is "under the influence" at the time of the test but only detect past drug use and not "whether that person is impaired at that moment, or is likely to be impaired while on the job."

Suncor wants to implement random drug and alcohol testing for employees at its oilsands facility near Fort McMurray, Alta.(Jeff McIntosh/Canadian Press)

Therefore, the Commission argues that "random drug tests cannot be shown to be reasonably necessary to accomplish the goal of ensuring that workers are not impaired by drugs while on the job." Also, requiring a drug test "as a condition of employment may be considered a discriminatory practice on the ground of disability or perceived disability."

Deines looks at the Canadian numbers for post-incident and reasonable cause testing and sees a problem. When testing in reasonable cause situations the results turn up positive about 30 per cent of the time. Deines explains that "because there are so many factors in the worksite, it's difficult to prove causality, but what you notice is a very high correlation between incidents and drug and alcohol abuse."

CannAmm reports that "[r]andom drug and alcohol testing has emerged in Canada as the most effective safety compliance tool in ensuring employee fitness in safety sensitive roles."

Opposition to random testing

Abby Deshman, a lawyer with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, argues that random testing "imposes a privacy-invasive, dignity-invasive regime on a large number of people without any real proof that these people are going to pose a threat to workplace safety," adding that "there's very little evidence that it does actually work as a deterrent."

(The CCLA is an intervener at the Supreme Court in the Irving case.)

Abby Deshman, a lawyer with the Canadian Civil Liberties Union, considers random drug testing 'privacy-invasive and dignity-invasive' for employees. (Courtesy Abby Deshman)

Deshman is especially concerned when companies say they want to bring in random testing "in the name of workplace safety without actually having any evidence that there's a problem in the workforce, or having an analysis that this is actually going to improve workplace safety."

Although the CHRC notes the difference between alcohol and drugs random tests, Deshman argues "some justification for the intrusion into worker dignity and privacy" is still needed.

"Can you actually show us that there's an alcohol problem in the workplace, can you show us this policy is the best and least intrusive way of addressing those concerns and if these are questions that haven't been asked and answered…, then you shouldn't be intruding on employee privacy and dignity without it."

Deshman told CBC News she wants Canadian society "to critically reflect on workplace privacy violations even when they're done in the name of workplace safety and really demand we know exactly why they are being put in place, that there's a really good rationale, that it really does increase workplace safety and not just defer to a general assertion that this is a dangerous job and we need to take all precautions."

The jurisprudence in Canada is anything but definitive on random testing but the Irving and Suncor cases are expected to add some clarity. Meanwhile, other possible cases loom.

The Toronto Transit Commission wants to bring in random drug and alcohol testing and the Canadian Forces want to greatly expand the number of troops subject to identifiable random drug testing, rather than just the anonymous testing program currently in place.

For Deines and Deshman, both workplace safety and the dignity and privacy of employees must be considered.

For more information on Drug Testing or Breath Testing, please contact us at Drug Test Australia on 1300 660 636 or email enquiries to sales@drugtestaustralia.com.au

Posted by Drug Test Australia, Original http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/12/07/f-random-drug-testing.html

By Daniel Schwartz, CBC News 

Posted: Dec 10, 2012 7:58 AM ET 

Last Updated: Dec 10, 2012 3:57 PM ET 

Read 263comments263

About: Urine Drug Screen

A urine drug screen is designed to detect illegal (and some prescription) drugs in the urine.

How the Test is Performed

It is necessary to collect a "clean-catch" (midstream) urine sample.

As you start to urinate, allow a small amount to fall into the toilet bowl (this clears the urethra of contaminants). Then, in a clean container, catch about 1 - 2 ounces of urine and remove the container from the urine stream. Give the container to the health care provider or assistant.

You may be asked to remove all your personal belongings. You will then be placed in a room where you have no access to your personal items or water. In this environment, you cannot dilute the sample, nor can you use someone else's urine for the test.

If the sample tests positive the sample is then taken to the laboratory for evaluation.

How the Test Will Feel

The test involves only normal urination.

Why the Test is Performed

The test is performed to detect the presence of illegal (and some prescription) drugs in your urine, which indicates recent use of the drugs.

Normal Results

No drugs in the urine.

What Abnormal Results Mean

If the test result is positive, it is helpful to confirm it with gas-chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In some cases, a test will register a false positive. This can result from interfering factors such as some foods, prescription medications, and other drugs.

The GC-MS will help tell the difference between a false positive or a true positive, resulting from the presence of an illegal drug.

View Our AS 4308 Compliant Urine Test Kits

View Our Urine Drug Testing Dipcards

Posted by Drug Test Australia

For more information go to www.drugtestaustralia.com.au

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Original http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003364.htm

Drug testing set to increase among office workers

Posted by Drug Test Australia

Pre-employment testing is being brought back into public discussion after it was announced that Australian resources and construction companies may soon extend drug testing to their office based staff as employers move towards more egalitarian style workplaces.

Employers often use behavioural testing and other selection procedures to screen applicants for hire, and the types of tests and selection procedures vary, and can include cognitive tests, personality tests, skills tests, medical examinations, credit checks, and background checks.

Depending on the type of test, employment testing can be conducted either online or in the employer's office, with pre-employment screening services aimed at determining which applicants are legitimately qualified and fit for the advertised role from those who are not up to task.

Pre-employment checks are often used by employers as a means of objectively evaluating a job candidate's qualifications, character, fitness, and to identify potential hiring risks for safety and security reasons. As such, risk minimisation is one of the most common reasons for organisations to begin drug and alcohol testing.

Different companies will have different requirements for their employee drug testing program. Options can include pre-employment drug testing, random drug testing, for cause drug testing, post-incident drug testing, target drug testing, annual physical drug testing, pre-promotion drug testing, treatment follow up drug testing and return to work drug testing. However, should it be conducted on office workers?

Managing Director of Employment Office, Tudor Marsden- Huggins, said there was a growing trend towards employers moving to a ‘one size fits all’ approach to ensure all staff were treated equally. “Many employers are questioning whether it’s fair to have one rule for some staff and a different one for others,” Mr Marsden-Huggins said.

“What this means is that everyone from miners and construction workers in high risk areas right through to secretaries and finance staff in generally safer roles at some organisations may have to undergo random drug testing,” he said.

Mr Marsden-Huggins said the issue was causing headaches for human resources staff as they balanced their employee’s right to privacy with the desire to create an equal workplace.

“Whilst drug testing in high risk roles is accepted as necessary for health and safety reasons, I expect some office workers may question if it is justified for their particular position such as those working behind a computer all day,” Mr Marsden-Huggins said.

“Unfortunately drug use is a problem in Australia and HR departments must tread carefully to balance the right to privacy with creating healthy, happy and productive workforces,” Mr Marsden- Huggins said.

Ultimately though, pre-employment testing such as drug testing will increase the likelihood of you securing supreme quality, skills-matched candidates that are going to be an idyllic culture fit and enduring assets – saving you time and money long term.

Peter Orthmann Hansen

Original http://www.employmentoffice.com.au/recruitment-news/17/07/12/drug-testing-set-increase-among-office-workers

Kiwi Kronic 'king' facing drug charges in Australia

New Zealand's "king" of legal cannabis faces trafficking charges in Australia after allegedly being found with a "commercial quantity" of drugs.

Matthew Wielenga was arrested about 8pm on Friday in the Melbourne suburb of Southbank. The 30-year-old is facing charges of trafficking a commercial quantity of synthetic cannabinoids and two counts of possessing a drug of dependence.

The Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday heard he was found with more than 100kg of Kronic, a synthetic marijuana product, and 1kg of white powder said to be a synthetic cocaine sold as Diablo.

The alleged drugs are yet to be analysed and Wielenga had made no admissions, the court heard.

Defence lawyer Greg Barns said the elements of Kronic kept changing and might not fall within the substances banned by Victorian law.

Wielenga was granted bail on a A$100,000 surety and is to reappear in court on March 18.

Dressed in jeans and a dark T-shirt, he appeared to be listening intently throughout the court hearing.

The New Zealander must stay at an address in the suburb of Richmond, report to local police daily and surrender his passport.

Wielenga is a director of Lightyears Ahead, the company responsible for bringing Kronic to New Zealand. Kronic is laced with chemicals mimicking cannabis and is often much stronger than the real thing. It was banned in New Zealand in August.

Wielenga, who ran his lucrative Kronic empire from Albany on Auckland's North Shore, is understood to have travelled to Australia with about nine of his employees last week. The group were in Australia for a music festival, a source said.

Nisha Din, described as the general manager of Lightyears Ahead, said the firm strongly denied any illegal activity.

She referred the Herald to Wellington law firm Chen Palmer.

Partner Mai Chen did not return calls last night.

Wielenga describes his party pill business on his Facebook page: "I run my own company that provides products to get people high. They are sold all over the world, which gives me a great excuse to travel."

- Anna Leask, NZ Herald

APNZ

original; http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/238659/kiwi-kronic-king-facing-drug-charges-australia

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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

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