A contractor working at Mount Isa Mines has told the North West Star that some of his co-workers use synthetic drugs on their days off, rather than marijuana, so they’re able to pass workplace drug tests.
Many drug tests are unable to detect the majority of the new breed of synthetic drugs flooding the market.
The unnamed source defended his colleagues’ right to use drugs in their own time, but suggested it could still be in their systems when they reported to work.
“And they did specifically avoid marijuana because of drug tests, and instead would smoke synthetic weed back when it was legal, or would choose LSD, synthetic LSD, or ecstasy instead, ” the source said.
“Even knew a few that would take meth but would never touch marijuana simply because meth is out of your system so quick, and marijuana stays in your system for ages.”
The contractor told the North West Star that he was against urine testing at mines because, in his belief it, “…created a culture where workers were encouraged to choose harsher and more dangerous drugs over ones that other countries already legalised and considered safe in moderation.”
“The truth is the only drugs they (authorities)want us doing are the ones that are taxed,” the contractor said.
A different employee from Mount Isa Mines told the newspaper that avoiding mine site drug tests could be quite simple.
“The nurses who administer the tests don’t really hide very well, you can occasionally see them before you get in the gate, in which case some people just call in sick,” the employee said.
“People will send messages out to their friends saying that ‘the drug test lady is here’.”
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