According to the latest report from the ACIC National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program, Australia witnessed a significant increase in the consumption of methamphetamine and cocaine.

In the year leading up to August 2023, over 10.5 tonnes of methamphetamine were consumed – a 17% increase from the previous year. Similarly, Australians consumed 4 tonnes of cocaine during the same period, a 19% increase compared to the previous year.

The comprehensive analysis monitors 12 substances, legal and illegal, in wastewater samples collected from 62 treatment plants covering 57% of Australia’s population. Alarmingly, the report shows Australians consumed over 30 tonnes of illicit substances in the last year.

Among the illicit drugs analysed, cannabis emerges as the most widely consumed, with 13.6 tonnes of THC consumed in the year leading up to August 2023.

While these findings may paint a concerning picture of drug consumption in Australia, there are measures that can be taken to address the issue. One such approach is wastewater drug monitoring.

Wastewater analysis provides valuable insights into potential drug use or abuse within various settings, including workplaces.

By analysing wastewater samples, businesses can determine whether employees are consuming illicit substances and identify specific drugs being used.

This proactive approach not only helps in maintaining a safe and healthy work environment but also allows for early intervention and support for individuals struggling with substance abuse.

At Safework Health, our wastewater testing service delivers reliable results within two to three weeks of receiving samples.

By partnering with us, businesses can gain a deeper understanding of their workforce’s drug consumption habits and take proactive steps towards promoting a drug-free workplace.

Contact us today to get started.

Hair follicle drug testing is a method used to detect the presence of drugs in a person’s system by analysing a small sample of hair follicles.

Unlike other forms of drug testing, such as urine or oral fluid tests, which provide a snapshot of recent drug use, hair follicle testing can detect drug use over a longer period, typically up to 90 days.

When a person consumes drugs, traces of these substances are absorbed into the bloodstream and eventually deposited into the hair follicles along with other nutrients.

During hair drug testing, a hair sample is collected from the individual’s scalp, usually from the root end, and sent to a laboratory for analysis.

The laboratory then processes the sample using techniques such as Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS) to detect the presence of specific drugs or their metabolites.

Hair drug testing can detect a wide range of substances, including but not limited to:

• Amphetamine Type Stimulants (speed, dex, ice and XTC)
• Benzodiazepines (sleeping tablets, relaxants)
• Cannabis (marijuana, THC)
• Cocaine
• Opiates (heroin, codeine, morphine)

Hair follicle drug testing is highly reliable when conducted by accredited laboratories using validated methods.

Unlike urine tests, which can be susceptible to adulteration or substitution, hair follicle testing is difficult to tamper with, making it a preferred option in many legal contexts.

However, it’s essential to ensure that the testing laboratory follows strict quality control measures and employs certified technicians to maintain the integrity of the results.

While hair follicle drug testing can provide a historical overview of drug use over several months, it cannot pinpoint the exact timing of drug consumption with precision.

Factors such as the rate of hair growth and the length of the hair sample collected can affect the interpretation of results. Additionally, external contamination from environmental exposure to drugs can sometimes lead to false positives.

Therefore, it’s essential to consider these limitations when interpreting the results in a legal context.

In family law cases, especially those concerning child custody disputes or allegations of substance abuse, hair follicle drug testing can serve as compelling evidence to substantiate or challenge claims made by either party.

With its extended detection window spanning up to 90 days, hair testing provides a more comprehensive depiction of a parent’s drug use behaviour over time. This detailed understanding can significantly impact custody decisions or visitation rights, offering courts a clearer insight into the parent’s ability to provide a safe and stable environment for the child.

Safework Health, as a leading provider of hair follicle drug testing services, prioritises strict adherence to chain of custody procedures to uphold the reliability and credibility of our results in legal proceedings.

With a nationwide network of NATA-accredited laboratories, we guarantee meticulous analysis of hair samples for traces of drugs, providing accurate results backed by rigorous testing methodologies.

Our commitment to delivering swift outcomes within 7 to 10 working days empowers family lawyers to make well-informed decisions efficiently in cases involving substance abuse allegations.

Contact Safework Health today to discover how we can support you in promoting a safer and healthier environment for families.

During her tenure as Operations Manager East Coast, Lisa demonstrated exceptional leadership and operational prowess, driving significant improvements in efficiency and performance across multiple facets of the business. Her strategic initiatives and collaborative approach earned her recognition as a driving force behind the region’s success.

Now, as National Operations Manager, Lisa brings her wealth of experience and proven track record to oversee operations on a larger scale. Her dedication to excellence, coupled with her ability to inspire and motivate teams, positions her as a transformative leader poised to propel Safework Health to new heights of success nationwide.

When Lisa isn’t managing Safework Health’s business operations, she can be found renovating her new place and caring for her two fur babies.

Learn more about Safework Health’s national team.

AS/NZS 4308:2023 sets the benchmark for procedures concerning urine specimen collection, storage, handling, onsite drug screening tests, and dispatch to a laboratory. It’s a vital resource for maintaining best practices in drug testing.

1. The first key change is a DECREASE in the screening cut-off for cocaine metabolites, from 300 ug/L down to 150 ug/L, and a corresponding drop in the confirmatory cut-off from 150 ug/L down to 100 ug/L. This should result in more detections on-site, along with confirmatory testing being more likely to match the initial screening result.
2. The second key change is a DECREASE in the confirmatory cut-off levels for Benzodiazepine metabolites, from 200 ug/L down to 100 ug/L. This will reduce the likelihood of a non-negative on-site screen returning a confirmed negative confirmation due to a mixture of metabolites being present in the urine with no individual component over 200 ug/L. Screening cut-offs for Benzodiazepines remain at 200 ug/L.
3. The third key change is allowing laboratories to report parent/metabolite drug(s) that are detected below the cut-off, but between the laboratories limits of quantitation (LOQ) and the cut-off, where another drug/metabolite has been detected above the cut-off. For example, when amphetamine is detected in a sample and a low level of Methamphetamine is present, that Methamphetamine result will additionally be reported to aid in the interpretation of results.

Other minor changes/additions include:

• Expanded reference to Informed Consent in relation to scope of testing.
• Centralised QC testing of devices at the main storage site, as opposed to on -site prior to testing.
• Allowances for Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LCMS) based screening of drugs, with cut-offs as per confirmatory methods.
• Oxycodone has specified cutoffs for screening and confirmation, but is not included in the main testing panel.

There are no changes to the testing process for THC in the urine standard. All cut-offs remain the same.

AS/NZS 4308:2023 also introduces a crossover period for 3 years where both standards are in effect, allowing manufacturers, laboratories, and collection agencies to implement changes when devices, laboratory procedures and processes have been updated to meet the new requirements.

A Safework Health representative is available to discuss the upcoming changes and the proposed timeline for implementation. Contact our team today!

We are pleased to announce Pathology Asia’s inclusion as a member of the Global Diagnostics Network (GDN), a strategic working group of diagnostic laboratories from around the world. Pathology Asia was introduced to this globe-spanning community in July 2023.

Pathology Asia’s membership in the GDN reinforces its commitment to ensuring that healthcare professionals are well-informed when making choices that will shape medical decisions and health diagnoses. It also furthers their goal to become a fully integrated digital healthcare organisation.

The GDN was conceptualised by US-based Quest Diagnostics as a worldwide community of leading healthcare companies.  This worldwide network was designed to develop collaborations among the world’s leading healthcare companies to address the growing need for advanced diagnostic testing and high-quality healthcare services.

Presently, the Network has a presence in countries with two-thirds of the world’s population and over 90% of the global pharmaceutical market.  Its members include Quest Diagnostics, Al Borg Medical Laboratories, Apollo Health & Lifestyle, Dasa, GC Labs, Healius, Lifelabs, LSI Medience , KingMed Diagnostics, Pathology Asia, Strand Life Sciences, and SYNLAB.

Safework Health has been a member of the Pathology Asia group since 2019. The Group is one of the largest and fastest-growing diagnostics groups in the region and comprises leading diagnostic laboratories across Southeast Asia and Australia.

Performing the testing of wastewater, is that something you can carry out on all sites? Is it an easy test to complete?

Wastewater testing can be performed effectively at any site. All that is required is to get access to the effluent outflow or the wastewater holding tanks for sampling. If required, Safework Health can send our staff to your sites and assess what needs to be done for testing and advise on the optimum testing regime tailored to your needs. Wastewater testing requires as a minimum that the number of staff at the site at the time of testing be made available. The effluent flow rate would be helpful but is not critical, as it can be approximated from the staff numbers assuming the average number of toilet visits and the average Australian toilet flush volume. Each sampling episode is easily done by taking ~300mL of wastewater from the effluent stream. Reports will be available within 7 working days of receipt of the sample.

Do we need to notify the employees that we are going to conduct wastewater testing?

There is no requirement – either legally or by custom, in Australia or internationally – to inform a site that wastewater testing is being or is planned to be performed. Wastewater testing is a whole-site testing procedure and does not impact the individual workers. Results reveal the magnitude of drug use at a site collectively and cannot identify the individual workers involved, so no case can be made for generally informing a site that testing will take place.

Do you see a time when we will have standards for hair testing?

It is generally believed the European SoHT (Society of Hair Testing) recommendations will be adopted as the international standard for hair testing by the EU over the next 2 to 3 years – specifically the 2022 Consensus on Hair Testing. The current delay is due to problems reconciling French guidelines with German practice. Once the EU has given its imprimatur, the US and Australia will follow suit to comply with international best practice guidelines.

Can you share that evidence base for >1 per year drug and alcohol testing programs reducing accidents by X%?

In progress. The review of the literature will be made available on 12 December 2023.

Do the laboratory test results reflect how long ago the worker is likely to have taken THC? Namely, can the result be converted into a rough timeline of when the THC was used?

No exact figure can be given. Urinary THC (provided the donor’s physiological details are supplied) may potentially supply the most accurate (albeit rough) estimate.

The oral fluid detection window for THC is roughly 8-12 hrs for standard doses of medicinal cannabis, ~ 12-18 hours for a NIDA-standard low dose 5mg THC cigarette, 18-24+hrs for a NIDA moderate dose 10mg THC cigarette. By use of the detection window a crude estimate of the maximum time since use can be made.

Urine detection windows are more complex. THC is a lipid-soluble molecule which partitions into the body fat. The more frequent the use of cannabis, and/or the more adipose tissue a donor has, the longer the detection window for THC – ranging from 3 to 5 days for a standard NIDA cigarette in a donor with normal BMI to 7 days for an obese donor with a BMI > 28.

By factoring in the height/weight and age of the donor and the stated frequency of use, a rough estimate of the time since use (i.e., more than ‘x’ hours but less than ‘y’ hours before collection) can be made for a range of THC doses, as well as determining whether a particular urinary THC level is consistent with the donor’s stated dosage and declared time since use. It should be noted these estimates are rough and not exact and that, while oral fluid THC correlates well with THC-associated impairment (if it’s not detected, the donor’s not affected), urinary THC levels do not correlate with impairment.

Find out more about Safework Health’s national occupational health team.