The reality seems to be that millions of Australians want to get “high”, and they will use whatever they can find to achieve their goal. The news was once filled with stories of heroin, ecstasy, and meth labs, but there is a new topic taking headlines more and more often – synthetic drugs. Employers reading these stories may wonder if they are fighting a losing battle in trying to maintain a drug free workplace. It may be tempting, but fortunately for employers there are patterns of behaviour associated with illicit drug use that make it likely even synthetic drug users will be detected through employer due diligence in administering a zero tolerance drug and alcohol policy.
Synthetic drugs represent an attempt to evade the law and still get high. Recently, mine workers were reported to be using a new synthetic drug called Venom which was imported from China. Venom is a more sophisticated type of Kronic, though it is still synthetic cannabis and can be detected through drug testing.1 Synthetic cannabis is detectable using an onsite saliva test, but it is impossible to not realise that other synthetic drugs exist. The laboratories are working on developing drug tests that can detect all synthetic illicit drugs using new technology, but in the meantime employers must find ways to keep the workforce safe.
Fake Drugs with Real Comedowns
One of the mistakes people taking synthetic drugs make is believing that they are not dangerous because many are sold online or through retailers. However, no one knows for sure what is in synthetic drugs and the results can be surprisingly similar to more powerful known illicit drugs. Late last year, New South Wales users began reporting that they were experiencing terrible “comedowns” after using white synthetic powers purchased at a local club’s adult store. First there was paranoia, followed by a sleepless night, and then feelings of depression. One of the men who explained the after effects of the unknown substance was unable to return to work for three days.2
The young adults describing their experiences with synthetic drugs said two remarkable things that employers should take heed of. First, the fake drugs were surprisingly strong. Second, many of these people expected the synthetic drugs to be safer than street drugs. They apparently expected to get high but not experience any physical effects.
Smarter Than the Drug Users
The federal and state governments are trying to find a way to include the many variations of synthetic drugs in their laws without unintentionally banning legitimate products. Though the law is struggling to deal with synthetic drugs, except for synthetic cannabis which is already banned, employers have a number of ways to keep the drugs out of the workplace, even synthetic versions.
First, it is important to partner with a quality, experienced drug testing company that uses state-of-the-art technology and sells high quality testing equipment. As drug users become more sophisticated, so will the drug tests and laboratories. Employers need a good drug testing partner to ensure they have access to the most recent testing developments in terms of equipment and services.
Second, the majority of illicit drug users are poly drug users. The 2010 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, being updated in 2013, reports that 85.2 percent of cannabis users and 96.2 percent of cocaine users also used alcohol. In addition, 90 percent of hallucinogen users also used cannabis. Users like to mix cannabis with other drugs like ecstasy, pharmaceuticals, and amphetamine.3 Therefore, testing for synthetic cannabis and alcohol is likely to identify workers using other types of drugs, even if the employer is unaware of the existence of various synthetic drugs. It is the common behaviours that reveal drug users of any kind because people who like to get high will turn to easily obtained substances like cannabis and alcohol to stay high.
Third, employers must train their supervisors to recognise drug and alcohol use in the workplace. As the young adults in New South Wales pointed out, they experienced severe synthetic drug effects. Supervisors and workers should know that synthetic drugs are as dangerous as known illicit drugs and learn to recognise behaviours in the workplace that put other people at risk. The employer should have clear procedures for the reporting of suspected drug use and a policy for at-cause substance testing. As mentioned, there is a high probability the synthetic drug user has used a detectable substance like Kronic (or its variations) or alcohol.
Finally, employers should monitor work attendance. Employees who frequently miss work on Mondays may be using substances on weekends. Though employers must protect the privacy rights of workers, they have the right to discipline workers who consistently miss work. Though there are no statistics to prove this theory, it is likely a number of undetected synthetic drug users were terminated from their place of employment due to their behaviours rather than a specific drug test.
Employers must use a combination of strategies to keep drugs and alcohol out of the workplace. Drug users may think they are being “smarter” than employers by using synthetic drugs, but savvy employers exercise diligence at all times. Mediscreen (http://mediscreen.net.au/) can be an important partner in this diligent effort because it offers services like 24/7 drug screenings, support for the Chain of Custody process, and state-of-the art testing services at any location.
References
1 Vicky Validakis. (2012, November 8). Mine workers chase new legal highs. Retrieved from Australian Mining: http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/news/mine-workers-chase-new-legal-highs?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Mining%20Australia%20Newsletter%20-%20send%20-%3E%208/11/2012%2012:23:05%20PM&utm_content
2 Tom Tilley. (2012, October 13). Highs and lows of burgeoning synthetic drug market. Retrieved from ABC News Australia: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-22/legals-highs-have-criminal-downsides/4327626
3 2010 National Drug Strategy Household Survey Report. (2011, July). Retrieved from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare : http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=10737421314&libID=10737421314
