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Storm in a Pee Cup Drug-Related Impairment in the Workplace Is Undoubtedly a Serious Issue and a Legitimate Concern for Employers

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Storm in a Pee Cup Drug-Related Impairment in the Workplace Is Undoubtedly a Serious Issue and a Legitimate Concern for Employers Mattersof Substance. august 2012 Volume 22 Issue No.3 www.drugfoundation.org.nz Storm in a pee cup Drug-related impairment in the workplace is undoubtedly a serious issue and a legitimate concern for employers. But do our current testing procedures sufficiently balance the need for accuracy, the rights of employees and the principles of natural justice? Or does New Zealand currently have a drug testing problem? CONTENTS ABOUT A DRUG Storm in 16 COVER STORY FEATURE a pee cup STORY CoveR: More than a passing problem 06 32 You’ve passed your urine, but will you pass your workplace drug test? What will the results say about your drug use and level of impairment? Feature ARTICLE OPINION NZ 22 28 NEWS 02 FEATURES Become 14 22 26 30 a member Bizarre behaviour Recovery ruffling Don’t hesitate A slug of the drug Sensible, balanced feathers across the Just how much trouble can What’s to be done about The NZ Drug Foundation has been at reporting and police work Tasman you get into if you’ve been caffeine and alcohol mixed the heart of major alcohol and other reveal bath salts are Agencies around the world taking drugs, someone beverages, the popular drug policy debates for over 20 years. turning citizens into crazy, are newly abuzz about overdoses and you call poly-drug choice of the During that time, we have demonstrated violent zombies! recovery. But do we all 111? recently post-pubescent? a strong commitment to advocating mean the same thing, and policies and practices based on the best does it matter? evidence available. You can help us. A key strength of the NZ REGULARS Drug Foundation lies in its diverse membership base. As a member of the NZ Drug Foundation, you will receive information about major The Director’s Cut 01 alcohol and other drug policy challenges. You can also get involved in our work to find Events 01 32 20 28 solutions to those challenges. Fit to start? GuesT eDiToRiAl: opinion: News 02 Our membership includes health promoters, Interlocks will help electorally toxic Drugs and About a Drug 16 decrease drunk driving Rodney Hide explains why development primary health and community organisations, Viewpoints 34 harm, but we argue they’d politicians should be kept Ann Fordham argues the researchers, students, schools and boards achieve more if they as far away as possible UN may be its own worst Q&A 36 of trustees, policy makers, and addiction treatment agencies and workers. weren’t made user pays. from drug policy enemy in addressing global Mythbusters 37 formulation. drug and crime links. Membership and subscription enquiries [email protected] or visit our website. www.drugfoundation.org.nz matters of substance is published matters of substance invites Brand development/ NZ Drug Foundation by the NZ Drug Foundation. feedback and contributions. If graphic design 3rd Floor, 111 Dixon Street All rights reserved. Neither this you’re interested in contributing Insight +64 4 801 6644 PO Box 3082, Wellington, publication nor any part of it a guest editorial or article, please [email protected] New Zealand may be reproduced without contact us: www.designedbyinsight.com p +64 4 801 6303 matters of substance prior permission of the [email protected] August 2012 NZ Drug Foundation. p +64 4 801 6303 Vol 22 No 3 ISSN 1177-200X THE DIRECTOR’s cuT SOCIAL @gnat The Health Promotion Board needs a “range of views”. Would be bias if all were in favour of promoting health. 28 JuNe @vaughndavis Accidently poured a @CokeZero into a glass that I’d spilt some espresso into. OMFG, as the young people say. I can see the music. 2 JulY @peterdunnemp If Labour’s minimum alcohol price amendment depends on my vote, it is doomed. 4 JulY have to admit I feel absolute despair every @kevinhague Extraordinary behaviour from time a young New Zealander dies trying to @winstonpeters in select committee on get high on solvents and gases. tobacco excise bill. Appears to believe no New Zealand has a tragic history of volatile adverse health impacts! 17 JulY substance abuse (VSA) deaths – 60 in the past decade. It’s one of the most difficult nz herald online “Mr Bell, it is simple to divert areas of drug harm reduction work. I people from the real issue by focussing on a The people using these products are often minor point. Can you please direct us to the Ross Bell very young and simply experimenting, yet empirical and irrefutable evidence which Executive Director they can die with their first high. It’s almost impossible to control supply of the products proves that raising the price of alcohol will as most are common and have legitimate household uses. We have reduce binge drinking?” NZ HerAlD reADer few tools up our sleeve to try to prevent or reduce use and harm. cOmmeNt NZDrug.Org/NHdABt There is no easy answer but, frustratingly, every time there’s a high-profile case, people who should know better go looking for one. 12-year-old Darius Claxton died in a Christchurch car park in May KEY EVENTS & DATES using butane. Jamie Jury (18) and Brendon McLeod (17) remain in hospital with serious burns after an explosion when they were From Genetics to practice: national Cannabis Conference using LPG last month. Brisbane, Australia TEMBER p Prompted by these cases, the Chief Coroner has announced he’ll E A fresh look at the evidence base on cannabis and mental health, and conduct an urgent inquiry into ‘huffing’. His won’t be the first. treatment interventions. 19–21 S I have a word of caution for the Chief Coroner: The inquiry itself www.ncpic.org.au isn’t a silly idea but, from past experience, all these reviews First international Conference on law enforcement and accomplish is to remind us what a bloody difficult issue VSA is and public Health that intuitions about solutions aren’t always grounded in evidence. VEMBER Melbourne, Australia This was starkly illustrated by a 2005 inquiry by the Wellington Investigating the partnership between law enforcement and public Coroner who examined six VSA deaths. Ignoring advice received health in addressing complex social problems. 11–14 No from the Ministries of Health and Youth Development, he www.policing-and-public-health.com recommended a public awareness campaign. Child Youth Mortality Review Committee Chairman Dr Nick Baker recently reminded us nZ Drug Foundation Annual General Meeting the evidence says that’s exactly the last thing we should pursue. Wellington VEMBER But evidence also shows we shouldn’t wring our hands. Sellers Stick this in your calendar now. Chocolate cake will be served as usual. of these products can be shown better ways to manage sales, and 27 No www.drugfoundation.org.nz we’ve had some successes recently with retailers. Services that work with young people can be better informed. 2013 international Harm Reduction Conference 2013 vilnius, lithuania The media have an important role – they can also get it very UNE This 23rd conference is a must-attend for harm reduction wrong. Coverage of recent cases has been clumsy and dangerous, practitioners from around the world. showing specific brands, where to buy them and even how to 9-12 J www.ihra.net/conference inhale. Guidelines for reporting on VSA are clearly needed. The Chief Coroner will undoubtedly look again at ways to control supply and availability, and we should keep an open mind about that. After all, the R18 restriction placed on spray paint as part of Follow us an anti-graffiti law has gone some way to reduce illicit use of those Join us online products. But considering we’re still left with a supermarket full of drugfoundation.org.nz/connect alternatives, our attention should switch to renewing efforts on health promotion and harm reduction. matters of substance August 12 01 NEWS NZ. 02 World drug 03 $300 for 04 Corrections report a smoke? changes The 2012 United Nations CorreCTions Chief 33,100 people in prison World Drug Report Executive Ray Smith is are set to receive an released in late June heralding the smokefree expanded drug and alcohol showed New Zealand has prisons policy as the single treatment programme 01 the fifth highest prevalence most important health because of changes in the of reported cannabis use in initiative the Department government’s budget. the world. The report could have done. The changes reprioritise DUNNE slays Party PILL Hydra $65 million of the estimated 14.6 percent of “There has been a drop in Corrections Department New Zealanders had used asthma and other New regulations for synthetic budget with the aim of cannabis in 2010. respiratory symptoms and reducing reoffending drugs announced in early July The report also estimated smoking-related illnesses 25 percent by 2017. that ecstasy use had fallen in prisoners since the ban.” by Associate Minister of Health Corrections Minister Anne but ecstasy substitutes had From 1 November 2011 to Tolley said it was time to Peter Dunne will help move increased and seizures of 22 May 2012, of the 5,661 get serious about breaking cocaine had increased by newly received prisoners New Zealand’s obsolete drug the cycle of reoffending. 0.6 percent. It focused on who identified as tobacco law into the 21st century. the good work smokers, 4,177 elected to “We know that two-thirds New Zealand had done take NRT using either of prisoners have addiction The new regulations will ensure the synthetic drug preventing the spread of patches and/or lozenges. problems and that up to HIV through drug abuse. 90 percent can’t read or industry will have to prove a substance is safe before it Smith said there had also write well,” said Tolley.
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