Drug detection in workplace tests remains elevated post-holidays
The detection of cocaine and amphetamine-type substances (ATS) in workplace drug tests remains elevated even after the spike during the holiday period in Australia, as employers are urged to regularly review their drug policies at work.
Cocaine detection in workplace drug tests dropped to 8.3% in the first quarter of 2026, down from the 10.9% recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the Q1 Imperans Report from The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA).
Despite the decrease, TDDA noted that the quarterly retreat reflects a seasonal drop instead of a genuine reversal of the underlying trend.
Annually, cocaine detection in the first quarter was elevated in 2026, rising from the 5.7% in the same period in 2025 to register a 45.5% YoY increase.
"We warned employers in Q4 that cocaine detections had nearly doubled over the course of the year, and Q1 data shows that trend did not end with the holidays," said Glenn Dobson, CEO of the TDDA.
"We did see a holiday spike followed by a partial correction but cocaine detections have not returned to previous baseline levels."
Detections of cocaine in workplace drug tests also increased annually across all states except Western Australia, while Queensland was the only state where cocaine detections did not decline following the holiday period.
"Year-over-year, detections are up across almost every state, which may point to a steady and increasingly entrenched supply network," Dobson said.
ATS detection in workplaces
Meanwhile, ATS, including methamphetamine, were the most frequently detected substances nationally, after being spotted in 53.3% of positive tests.
According to TDDA, detections have increased 11.8% annually, and have gone up 9.2% from the previous quarter.
Western Australia saw the biggest annual increase in ATS detection, rising 65.5% YoY. This is followed by South Australia (46.1%), Victoria (13.1%), Queensland (7.5%), and then New South Wales (2.4%).
What can employers do?
Dobson has warned employers over cocaine's silent effect on employees, noting that users may appear present as confident and high performing even if their judgement, concentration, and impulse control are already compromised.
"Cocaine does not announce itself the way some other substances do," he said.
"In workplaces where people operate heavy machinery, drive vehicles, or carry out safety-sensitive tasks, that is not just a risk to the individual. It is a risk to everyone around them. By the time the problem becomes visible, it may have already been present for some time."
According to TDDA's chief executive, employers should regularly review their drug and alcohol policies to reflect state-level trends.
Employers should also consider introducing targeted testing programmes, including pre-employment, regular, and random testing, for early warning and intervention.
Organisations without a testing programme in place or that have not reviewed their policies for some time should consider these their priority, according to TDDA.
"A more comprehensive approach combines this with ongoing training and education to ensure managers are equipped to have early, supportive conversations with employees, rather than waiting for an accident to happen," it added.
