Soaring meth abuse at work prompts warning to bosses

The data shows the ingestion of amphetamine-type stimulants, including methamphetamine, soared over the year among the mostly blue-collar workers who underwent testing.

The drugs now account for six in every 10 positive drug tests in workplaces, including in the transport, construction and manufacturing sectors.

"Methamphetamine is an incredibly dangerous drug," agency head Glenn Dobson told AAP.

"It's incredibly negative in the community, but when it gets into the workplace, it creates some very real safety issues."

The presence of amphetamine-type stimulants accounted for 60 per cent of all positive tests in the June quarter, a significant year-on-year rise of 17.9 per cent.

Next in line was the use of opioids, including oxycodone, which made up 11.6 per cent of positive tests, although usage was down 36 per cent over the year.

Opioid use by a bus driver was a major factor in the deaths of 10 wedding guests and the injury of 25 others in the NSW Hunter Valley in 2023.

Brett Andrew Button, who rolled the bus, was sentenced to 32 years in prison, with a 24-year non-parole period.

The two directors of the company he worked for, Linq Buslines, later pleaded guilty to safety failures and are due to be sentenced in the coming month.

The report also showed cocaine was detected in 8 per cent of positive tests in the quarter, an increase from the same period in the previous year.

Cannabis was also present in 39 per cent of positive tests, but usage fell slightly annually.

Drugs were found in three per cent of all screens conducted by the agency, which noted that rate was broadly unchanged from previous quarters.

"That's three in every 100 in a workplace - that could be three bus drivers, three truck drivers, three construction workers," Mr Dobson said.

By jurisdiction, Western Australia recorded the highest use of amphetamine-type stimulants at 88.6 per cent, although the four other mainland states were all pushing 50 per cent or above.

Mr Dobson pointed to the ongoing battle against the drug by the state's authorities, adding: "WA has got a meth problem."

"Certainly, WA stands out significantly in relation to methamphetamine, just as South Australia and the eastern states stand out from a cocaine perspective," he said.

SA had the highest cocaine detections, Queensland the highest cannabis detections and Victoria the highest opioid detections.

NSW ranked second for cocaine and opioids, third for cannabis and four for meth.

"What we are seeing globally now - certainly in Australia ... is cocaine is no longer the glam, higher-end drug," Mr Dobson said.

"It is a drug that's being used by a huge subset of the community.''

The results are another wake-up call for employers, who are being advised to manage workplace risk and regularly review drug and alcohol policies.

Pointing to the Hunter Valley deaths, Mr Dobson said that was the exact type of event the agency wanted to prevent.

The private-sector group conducts around 250,000 tests a year, including urine and oral-fluid screening.

Its data reflects a combination of pre-employment, post-incident, regular and random testing. Some tests were positive for multiple substances.