MediNat Australia

NSW Police overlooked scientific advice about hair sample and sacked drug-tested sergeant Eamonn Duff  March 12 2017  A single strand of hair that destroyed the life of a long-serving Sydney police officer has the potential to influence the future of not just the entire NSW Police Force but all workplaces across NSW. Sergeant George Zisopoulos insists he has been wrongly dismissed due to one of his hair follicles which returned a positive drug test reading. But while the state's top cop, Commissioner Andrew Scipione, has determined that, on the "balance of probabilities", the officer knowingly consumed drugs, scientific opinion suggests otherwise. Leading forensic experts have cast doubts over the decision to sack Sergeant Zisopoulos, concluding there is "no evidence" the substances found on his hair were ingested and that the minute readings may have been caused by "external contamination". ergeant Zisopoulos, who is the first NSW

Good article by Fay Calderone Partner DIBBSBARKER Fast Fact Alcohol and other drugs cost Australian workplaces an estimated $6bn per year in lost productivity. Recent research has estimated that 2.5 million days are lost annually due to alcohol and other drug use. Persons Conducting Business or Undertaking (PCBUs) have an onerous duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and others in their workplace under WHS laws. This includes the provision of a safe work environment, information, instruction, training and supervision in relation to WHS that extends to being under the influence of drugs or alcohol at work. Workers also have an obligation under WHS laws to protect their own health safety and that of others in the workplace. As such, showing up to work under the influence may be a breach by the worker of their WHS obligations as it is of the PCBU that failed to prevent it. It is also considered "serious miscond

‘Ice’ is crystal methamphetamine, a form of methamphetamine (d-methamphetamine) Why do people take methamphetamine?  Methamphetamine use (including ice) increases levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates sleep, mood and appetite. Its use results in feelings of intense euphoria, exhilaration and increased arousal and activity. This can result in the user feeling alert, energised, talkative, happy, confident and powerful. The effect of any drugs, including methamphetamine, can have a significant impact on workplace health, safety, relationships and productivity. Methamphetamine use can impact on the workplace in several ways. ·          Some people may use methamphetamine while at work because they feel it improves their ability to work. For example, shift workers, hospitality staff or long haul drivers may use it to help them stay awake and concentrate for long periods of time. In reality, it affects the way a person sees the world and how they react t