Workers stoned while on the job

Bay companies are facing a wave of drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace, with 15 in every 100 workers tested having detectable at-risk levels at work.
That is 50 per cent higher than the national incidence of 10 in every 100. And in the Bay nearly a third of those tested following a workplace "incident" had a "non-negative" result - more than double that nationally.
The issue is the subject of a special report in this month's Business Times magazine, free inside your Bay of Plenty Times today.
The New Zealand Drug Detection Agency (NZDDA), the country's only fully compliant on-site testing provider, provided the figures.
"Cannabis is the big problem in the Bay, without a doubt," said Bay of Plenty NZDDA general manager Leigh Sefton. "It's the gateway drug, and it enjoys cultural acceptance in some areas here. Nationally, 70 per cent of all drug tests that return a positive result are for cannabis, but here in the Bay it's an even higher proportion."
Cannabis continued to put you at risk in the workplace long after its effects were felt: "Even though you may not feel stoned as such at work, it takes away your ability to multi-task."
P (methamphetamine) accounted for 12.5 per cent of positive drug tests nationwide, and it, too, was on the rise.
Mr Sefton and local NZDDA operations manager Kevin McFarlane are ex-policemen and have witnessed the devastating impact of drug and alcohol abuse.
"People like to think all the druggies and drunks are sitting at home on benefits," Mr Sefton said. "But our testing results show people are turning up at work with detectable at-risk levels of drugs or alcohol in their systems - labourers through to corporate officers.
About 40 per cent of all workplace fatalities can be traced back to drug or alcohol abuse. As an abuser, you have three times the chance of being involved in a workplace accident."
Drug use also impacted on productivity, absenteeism, workplace theft, disciplinary problems and related ACC claims, he said.
NZDDA tests between 100 and 200 workers in the Bay of Plenty every month and 2500 nationally. It works with about 80 companies in the Bay, having experienced steady growth since it established in the Bay three years ago.
"It's growing all the time. I have 12 new companies that I am going through the process of developing policies with," Mr Sefton said.
Drug testing was predominantly done in industries involving heavy machinery and vehicles, however interest had been shown from other sectors, including Government agencies, schools and supermarkets.
Mount Maunganui-based Ballance Agri-Nutrients says it requires prospective employees to undergo drug and alcohol screening. The company's lost-time injury rate has dropped considerably.
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