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What Employers Can Learn About Drug Use From Miners

Drug ScreeningIt is no secret that the Australian mining industry has a drug and alcohol abuse problem. The most substance abuse has been found in the fly-in fly-out (FIFO) camps where miners live for long stretches of time with periodic visits home. Some of the miners drive to the camps to start a work period, but like those flying in, they stay in the camps for days or weeks because of their shifts. As the mining industry, police, and agencies dealing with drug abuse try to understand what fosters a culture of substance abuse, it affords a good opportunity for employers in all industries to learn more about drug and alcohol use.

Recently, miners agreed to talk to Professor Kerry Carrington who is with the Queensland University of Technology. He prepared a series of reports addressing substance abuse in mining camps. As the head of the School of Justice in the Faculty of Law, he chose to concentrate on Queensland miners.1 His research gave a fascinating look into a workplace drug culture and contains information every employer should consider when evaluating their respective workplaces.

Combination of Factors

The miners use both drugs and alcohol. Alcohol has been a particular problem in some camps and was pinpointed as being a major contributor to male-on-male violence. At mining locations where it is possible to visit pubs after shifts are completed, the fighting occurred in town and in camps. It is probably safe to say that a combination of fatigue and boredom coupled with alcohol abuse is the right formula for causing trouble.

Also disturbing was the description one miner gave a reporter. He said, “You just see blokes out of their tree, especially when they knock off work. They might have a quick bong, or shot of amphetamines, so you have to assume two quick beers don’t send you as silly as some of them get. To be totally honest, you couldn’t just single out grass.”2 This supports the many government research projects that indicate a majority of substance abusers are poly drug users. The miners use hard drugs and alcohol on a regular basis after shifts end. It also supports the belief of drug and alcohol testing professionals that a quality testing program can identify someone who is using technically legal synthetic drugs. Synthetic drug users are drug abusers looking for a ‘safe’ method of achieving a high and are likely to be also be using an illicit substance or alcohol.

Understanding Life’s Complexities and Employer Control

As usual, the reasons for abusing drugs and alcohol are complicated and interrelated. As employers work to maintain a zero tolerance policy, they also need to understand that people almost always have issues that may be driving the abuse. It is one reason that Australia has adopted a harm minimisation approach and encouraged employers to offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). The Western Australian Network of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies reports that the factors in FIFO mining situations contributing to substance abuse include:

Extended leisure periods in between shifts

Long periods of separation from family

High disposable income

Limited access to recreational activities

Culture of partying at home

Drug dealers are attracted to mining camps because there are many workers with nothing to do and money to spend. Some employers may think this has no relationship to their workplace. However, there are two important points applicable to all employers that have emerged from the mining industry situation. First, the culture and expectation of partying is an Australian societal issue with implications for all workplaces. Second, a set of circumstances can lead to substance abuse and those circumstances vary from workplace to workplace.

Demand Drives Substance Abuse

The Northern Region Drug Squad says that Mount Isa has become the “synthetic drug capital” of North Queensland because of strong demand from mining workers.2 It should never be forgotten that people choose to use drugs, and even after they are addicted, they choose to not get help. The mining industry believes more stringent drug and alcohol testing programs are needed to better manage the situation.

Employers in any type of business need to pay attention to what is going on in industries that have recognised a drug and alcohol problem. Mediscreen (http://mediscreen.net.au/) can collect and test saliva and urine samples in any location and at any time of the day. This service can play an important role in promoting a substance free workplace by enforcing policies without regard for location.

References

1 Caitlyn Gribbin, “Mine workers speak out over a culture of drug use in FIFO camps,” ABC Rural Australia, (13 March 2013), accessed at http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2013/s3714504.htm.

2 Gribbon, Mine workers speak out.

3 Andrew Duffy, “Police blame miners for Mt Isa drug boom,” Australian Mining, (21 February 2013), accessed at http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/news/police-blame-miners-for-mt-isa-drug-boom.

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