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Come see our newly updated website at www.drugtestaustralia.com.au

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.

Visit our website for more information, or to make a product enquiry.

If you have an enquiry you can contact us at sales@drugtestaustralia.com.au or call us on 1300 660 636

Spot saliva test a way to curb drugged drivers

A RIDE program. (QMI Agency)

We’ve all heard of roadside breathalyser tests when it comes to drinking and driving.

But spot saliva tests for drug use?

That’s the recommendation from two Western University legal experts who have tabled a study on drug use and driving for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada.

Western law professors Erika Chamberlain and Robert Solomon claim that while the number of people driving while high on drugs is up, enforcement is lax when it comes to charging people with impaired driving because drug use is often hard to prove.

“You have more and more young people admitting to driving after drug use, not just after consuming alcohol,” said Chamberlain.

“I don’t think people realize that this is a growing problem,” said Chamberlain.

Already used in Australia and some European cities, roadside saliva tests are a quick and easy way to check for drugs, Chamberlain said.

Just like a breathalyzer, which detects the driver’s blood alcohol level, the saliva test would be used to test targeted drugs and the amount in the driver’s system.

While it’s likely going to be a few years before we see roadside saliva tests as frequently as we see drunk driving blitzes, Chamberlain said, drug-impaired driving is not an issue the government can ignore.

“It’s just going to become a greater and greater problem,” she said.

alex.weber@sunmedia.ca

--- --- ---

BY THE NUMBERS

500 — Officers in Canada qualified to conduct DREs.

$17,000 — Cost to train each officer.

2 — Officers in the London police force trained in DRE.

65,183 — Impaired driving charges laid in Canada in 2010.

915 — Of those impaired charges were for drug-impaired driving.

--- --- ---

WHAT’S RECOMMENDED

A roadside saliva test administered by police officers to screen drivers suspected of being high on drugs while behind the wheel.

HOW IT WORKS

• The test would be similar to ones used in the Australian state of Victoria, where police officers are able to demand a saliva sample from any driver at the roadside.
• The driver uses a swab to provide a saliva sample and if it tests positive for any of the targeted drugs, the driver must accompany police and take a second test, which is sent to a lab to be analyzed.
• If that test is also positive the driver is charged.
• For the system to work, the government would have to establish a specific amount for each of the drugs targeted that would mean the driver was in fact “high” at the time of the test, because some drugs can stay in a person’s body long after the impairing affects have worn off.

SKEPTICISM

While DREs accurately determine if a person has drugs in their system, the courts remain skeptical about the link between the presence of drugs in a driver’s system and impairment because some drugs can stay in a person’s body long after the effects have worn off.

--- --- ---

ENFORCEMENT NOW

Under the Criminal Code, it’s difficult for police officers to determine if someone is driving while high. If an officer suspects someone is driving while impaired by drugs they can administer a physical co-ordination test before launching a multi-step Drug Recognition Evaluation (DRE), a process designed to reveal whether a driver is impaired by one of the seven classes of frequently abused drugs — depressants, inhalants, phencyclidine, cannabis, stimulants, hallucinogens and narcotics.

--- --- ---

WHO’S DRIVING HIGH?

• Over the last decade, driving while high on drugs has become more common in Canada.
• A 2007 Health Canada study found that nearly 40% of people ages 15 to 24 reported driving within two hours of using cannabis, compared with the 20% that reported driving after drinking alcohol.
• A 2011 study comparing alcohol and drug use among fatally injured drivers from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse found one-third of the drivers had drugs in their system.
• Unlike drunk drivers who tend to be more prevalent at night and on weekends, drug-positive drivers are spread relatively evenly across days of the week.

Posted by Drug Test Australia

See our Australian Standard Saliva Tests 

drugtestaustralia.com.au

Phone: 1300 660 636

Email Enquiries: sales@drugtestaustraliua.com.au

By Alex Weber, The London Free Press

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 10:27:34 EST PM

Original Article http://www.lfpress.com/2012/11/28/spot-saliva-test-a-way-to-curb-drugged-drivers

Police take 1700 drink or drug-affected drivers off the streets

Police test drivers for drugs. Picture: Tim Carrafa Source: Sunday Herald Sun

POLICE have taken 1700 drink or drug-affected drivers off the streets of Victoria in the first phase of its summer road enforcement campaign.

Operation RAID – Remove All Impaired Drivers – detected more than 36,500 traffic offences during the past three weeks, 3000 more than in the same period last year.

Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing Robert Hill said he was astounded.

“It just astounds me that despite the research, despite the education, despite the heartache, people are still willing to risk their lives on the road,” Mr Hill said.

“I look at incidents like the terrible collision that claimed five lives in Lara over the weekend and wonder what more we as police could have done?”

“But it’s not just up to the police. Everyone needs to play their part and show some responsibility – drivers, passengers and pedestrians alike,” he added.

One driver, a 58 year old Yarrawonga man, was seen talking on a mobile phone and holding a can of beer while unsuccessfully trying to steer his Holden ute along the Murray Valley Highway in Cobram East around 2.35 last Thursday.

“The incident occurred at the same location where two days prior, a 20-year-old Mulwala woman was killed after her vehicle collided with a tree,” Victoria Police spokeswoman Cath Allen said.

One disqualified motorist was caught with drugs in his system in the same location in Bittern and same operation as he had the year before.

And five drug drivers were detected in the Mornington Peninsula area all on Saturday night.

“Over the last three weeks during this operation, we’ve breath tested 671,863 motorists and drug tested a further 1580 motorists,” Mr Hill said.

"We’ve had more police on the road than ever, working around the clock to deter and take these risk-takers off our roads.

“My challenge to all road users, two weeks out from Christmas, is stay safe or stay off the road this summer,” he added.

The operation detected:

• 1580 drink driving offences

• 196 drug driving offences

• 1092 disqualified/suspended drivers

• 1542 unlicensed drivers 

• 3191 unregistered vehicles 

• 10,819 speeding offences 

• 3152 mobile phone offences 

• 2576 disobey signs/signals 

• 262 impoundments 

• 1528 seat belt offences. 

The 52-day campaign will run across Victoria until January 9. 

Posted By Drug Test Australia

Original http://www.news.com.au/national/police-take-1700-drink-or-drug-affected-drivers-off-the-streets-of-victoria/story-fndo4cq1-1226533910237

• Jon Kaila
• Herald Sun
• December 11, 201212:00AM

More airline staff fail drug, alcohol tests

Posted by Drug Test Australia

 By Chris Zappone October 30, 2012 - 10:26AM -  Sydney Morning Herald

Less than three months after a Qantas pilot was stood down from a flight on suspicion of alcohol use, data from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority shows more than 100 airline employees have tested positive for drugs and alcohol over a 17-month period.

Random drug and alcohol tests of airline staff - including pilots, ground crews, air traffic controllers and other ‘‘safety sensitive’’ workers - showed 80 positives for drug use out of 19,402 tests, as well as another 24 positives for alcohol use out of 27,459 tests, data from the CASA has shown.

The drug and alcohol tests, conducted from September 2010 to February 2012, were used for pre-employment testing, upon suspicion of a staff member or for employees returning from rehabilitation for substance abuse. From 2008 and March 2012, random drug and alcohol sampling by the airlines themselves revealed 27 positives out of 51,645 tests for both substances.

The drug and alcohol use figures come after the pilot of a Qantas plane bound for Brisbane from Sydney was stood down minutes before take-off in August on suspicion of alcohol use. The government has implemented a drug and alcohol management regulatory regime since 2008, with random testing occurring since then.

CASA spokesman Peter Gibson noted that 0.41 per cent of totals had tested positive for drug use and only 0.087 per cent had test positive for alcohol. The airlines’ testing revealed a positive rate of 0.052 per cent.

‘‘The rate of positives for both the testing by aviation organisations and the random testing, is very, very low,’’ he said. ‘‘[But] naturally we'd like to see no positives at all.

‘‘To strive to achieve that, there are comprehensive education and training programs for all aviation employees to warn them about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, while at work.’’

In the test, the blood alcohol concentration limit was a 0.02 per cent. Drug limits were ‘‘in accordance with the Australian standard for oral fluid testing,’’ CASA said.

Article; http://www.smh.com.au/business/more-airline-staff-fail-drug-alcohol-tests-20121030-28gi3.html

Illicit drug expulsions up 50 per cent, Queensland state school

SCHOOLYARD drug expulsions have soared with one state school expelling 10 students involved with illicit substances last financial year.

Teachers warn the rise reflects an increase in drug use in the community.

The Department of Education, Training and Employment's (DETE) annual report reveals the number of exclusions handed out to state school students for "substance misconduct involving an illicit substance" jumped about 50 per cent last financial year from 160 in 2010-2011 to 237.

Six were in primary school levels. The illicit drugs category does not include alcohol or cigarettes.

Merrimac State High School had the highest number of illicit drug exclusions with 10 students expelled in 2011-12.

Mabel Park, Dakabin and Maroochydore state high schools excluded seven pupils each.

The State Government declared last year that it had cracked down on drugs in schools following an increase in pupils caught with them in 2009 and 2010

Last financial year was also the first in recent history that Government principals were able to expel students, over the entire 12 months, without departmental approval.

The Government had predicted the new powers would spark a jump in exclusions, but principals disagreed.

Queensland Secondary Principals' Association president Norm Fuller said he still didn't think the principal power was behind the jump, with many more cautious because they had to withstand any challenges.

"I would certainly say there has been a tough stance on drugs," Mr Fuller said.

Queensland Teachers' Union president Kevin Bates said the number of students excluded for illicit drugs was "minuscule" given 500,000 attended state schools, "but any number is concerning".

"Because the reality is any issue of drugs in schools is a major concern because clearly for many of those more serious offences it's not just about possession, which is serious enough, but it is often about kids providing drugs to other kids," Mr Bates said.

DETE acting assistant director-general Marg Pethiyagoda said drugs were a community problem "and schools are part of the community". She said any incident involving drugs in schools were reported to police.

DETE Minister John-Paul Langbroek said illicit drugs had no place in any school and principals had his full support in taking a tough stance.

Independent and Catholic schools do not have to provide exclusion and suspension figures, leaving the state sector in the spotlight over the issue.

TANYA CHILCOTT 

From:The Courier-Mail 

October 19, 2012 1:00AM

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/queensland-state-school-illicit-drug-expulsions-up-50-per-cent/story-e6frg6n6-1226498898148

Background

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

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 9001:2000, AS ISO 15189:2009. Equipment cut-off levels are set to Australian Standard 4308 and 4760 and non negative specimens are assessed only at NATA approved laboratories.

Our passion to help create safer work environments has also driven us to make major contributions to the research and development for the market. Our focus has been to develop a saliva device that consistently delivers results and is AS4760 compliant. We are also instrumental in refining Quality Controls and collection equipment for the Australian onsite collection industry.

2012 has seen the release of new products, new collection devices and improvements in Quality Control and Logistics.

Urine vs Saliva Drug Testing

Back and forth the arguments go, some for Urine testing as the drug test of choice, some for oral fluid testing as the most 'effective' method of testing.

The main contention between proponents of Urine v Oral Fluid testing, is the detection window of drug use that is offered, with Urine being longer than that of oral fluid testing.

Urine is able to detect a broad history of drug use. It is the detection times that mean that this is the case. Urine tests can pick up drug use days, even up to a month, depending on use. For example below; Several common types of drugs and their detection periods in urine testing:

Amphetamines (except methamphetamine)	1 to 5 days
Methamphetamine	3 to 5 days
MDMA (Ecstasy)	24 hours
Cannabis	2 to 7 days, up to >30 days after heavy use and/or in users with high body fat
Cocaine	2 to 5 days with exceptions for certain kidney disorders
Codeine	2 to 3 days
Morphine	2 to 4 days
Heroin	3 to 4 days
Methadone	3 days

Oral Fluid (saliva) on the other hand, has a more narrow window of detection, and can pick up impairment (use of a drug within the preceding hours) in the person tested.

It is for these reasons that the main sources of contention arise between proponents of each. The other reasons for friction to one method or another are more subtle.

Lack of Privacy is a commonly cited point of friction, and feeling 'undignified' are another argument for Saliva over Urine testing.

Urine testing can be viewed as more 'intrusive' by workers, who may feel it is beyond reasonable expectation to have knowledge of past drug use, up to one month for some drugs in some cases. In past it was difficult for female workers to attend urine drug tests, as no separate facilities were available, and the majority of testers were male.

Saliva is a less well known, and less trusted means of testing by some, who argue that "it is not as accurate as urine" and that "uncovering a drug culture of use in the workplace is more important than knowing if workers are high".

Unions argue that 'impairment' is what a drug and alcohol testing policy is meant to uncover, and that oral fluid testing is suitable for testing 'impairment', that is present use of the drug that would mean the person is 'impaired'.

One client cited remote location as a hindrance for saliva testing being introduced. A simple matter of logistics. This client operated from a mine in remote Western Australia. They could not introduce saliva testing, over the existing urine testing, as when a positive sample is taken in oral fluid testing, a sample must be taken, frozen, and then it must be tested in a laboratory. They simply could not keep the sample frozen long enough to make it to the lab!

The argument for either will always be present, but it is important that we get the facts straight and understand the issue before we make up our minds about which avenue is best for us.

For more information, please visit our website; www.drugtestaustralia.com.au

Phone:1300 660 636

Email enquiries: sales@drugtestaustralia