Pubdate: Tue, 03 Oct 2006
Source: Mercury, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2006 Davies Brothers Ltd
Contact:  http://www.themercury.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/193
Note: letters not printed online, print edition only

MINERS TURN TO SPEED TO BEAT TESTS

SOME miners working in the Bowen Basin are trying to beat workplace 
drug tests by using methamphetamines (speed) instead of cannabis when 
they party.

Tropical Investigations and Security Service general manager Gary 
Sorensen said miners had told him they have been "forced" to use 
speed to beat the test.

This was because speed left a user's system in a matter of days while 
traces of cannabis could stay in your system up to a month, Mr Sorensen said.

Tropical Investigations and Security Service trains health and safety 
employees at a number of mines in Bowen Basin to carry out urine drug tests.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) industrial 
safety and health representative Tim White said he was aware of some 
miners using methamphetamines in a bid to cheat drug tests.

Mr White said he was concerned about the danger this behaviour posed 
to miners themselves and their colleagues.

"It's a pretty dangerous job," he said.

"Underground your working with machinery that weighs over 20 tonnes - 
I wouldn't want to be working with someone on drugs."

Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs Service (ATODS) Mackay/Whitsunday 
acting manager Danny Hember said people who took speed would still 
experience a "crash" one to three days after use.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine