Staff may face synthetic drug tests

New tests for legal synthetic cannabis drugs such as Kronic are now available for Western Bay employers looking to crack down on their use.
Auckland-based national company Drug Detection Agency says it is now able to do workplace testing for two types of so-called synthetic cannabinoids - the first in New Zealand to offer the service.
The synthetic drugs are made in a laboratory and added to herbs for smoking. They produce similar effects to traditional cannabis, such as euphoria and hunger, but are said to be more potent.
The laboratory testing will be done in the United States from urine samples and will cost about $200 per test.
But one of Tauranga's largest businesses is urging companies to be cautious about the new test because the drug is legal.
Port of Tauranga chief executive Mark Cairns said if an employer decided to seek such information they would need to ensure the testing regime was done under New Zealand and Australian standards.
The port was working to develop an appropriate testing regime for opiates and cannabinoids to minimise any safety risks posed by employees affected by alcohol and drugs.
Any new testing programme would be introduced in consultation with unions and employees.
Drug and alcohol counsellor Krista Davis, of Get Smart Tauranga Drug Alcohol Services, said the test for synthetic cannabis was a "great idea".
A lot of employees had been crying out for it for some time.
"A lot of people use the synthetic stuff because it won't show up in the drug testing," she said. "Right now, it's a legal substance but it can have a lot of detrimental effects. This test can be a motivator not to take it."
Ms Davis said many marijuana users took synthetic cannabis and vice versa.
Drug Detection Agency managing director Kirk Hardy expects huge demand for the synthetic test.
"We're doing around 4000 tests per month. We already know, anecdotally, that people have switched from cannabis to the synthetic cannabis in order to try and get around being tested positive at work," he said. "It causes the same, if not worse, problems in workplaces."
He said evidence of synthetic cannabis was detectable for the same period as plant-based cannabis - up to 72 hours after a person used it.
KiwiRail, whose drug and alcohol testing is done by Mr Hardy's company, said it was interested in the synthetic cannabis test.
"We take drug testing very seriously and will work with our people on assessing whether we will introduce this particular test on top of our current regime," a KiwiRail spokeswoman said.
"Approximately two-thirds of our employees work in what we assess as safety-critical areas, but all our employees have to comply with our drug and alcohol policy."
She would not say how many drug tests were done for KiwiRail.
Union members interviewed were unenthusiastic about random testing. However, Rail and Maritime Transport Union organiser John Kerr supported testing that could detect workers who might be impaired by drug or alcohol use and was aimed at rehabilitation.
"Workers who work in safety-critical areas don't want to work alongside people who are impaired," he said.