Youths Tripped By Drug Testing
Newcastle Herald
Tuesday March 19, 2002
EIGHT out of 10 young Upper Hunter job seekers applying to work in mining-related industries fail drug and alcohol testing, according to a recruitment agency.
The Muswellbrook branch of Joblink Plus, an agency specialising in recruitment for the mining and construction industries, revealed the statistics to the Herald yesterday.
Employment consultant Joy Northrop said between seven and eight young people out of every 10 aged 18 to 25 who applied for contract work through Joblink Plus failed compulsory entry-level drug testing.
Ms Northrop said she interviewed young people from across the Upper Hunter for mining jobs, as well as trades such as boilermaking and fitting.
She said the number of interviewees and the available jobs varied each month, but the trend of failed drug tests continued.
`The problem isn't that there aren't the jobs out there,' Ms Northrop said. `It is getting young people to realise we can't put them on if they aren't clear from drugs and alcohol.'
Ms Northrop said mining companies conducted random breath testing on site and would not employ new recruits if their tests were not clear.
`The mines have very strict occupational health and safety requirements because of WorkCover guidelines,' she said.
Drayton Coal general manager Trevor Hulme said the industry had a duty of care to provide a safe, drug-free workplace.
`We need to assure employees when they come to work that they won't be working with someone that is intoxicated or affected by drugs,' he said.
Mr Hulme said workers were not only tested for illicit drugs, but also drugs such as antihistamines, which could cause drowsiness.
He said contractors were randomly drug-tested when they were being inducted at the mine and usually one or two people in the group failed.
Urine tests can detect five types of drugs covering substances such as marijuana, heroin, morphine, cocaine and some sedatives as well as alcohol.
Upper Hunter Youth Service coordinator Barbara Armstrong said marijuana was the problem drug for youth in the region.
© 2002 Newcastle Herald
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