Employers in affected areas urged to 'immediately' take action
Cocaine detections in workplace drug tests surged in the fourth quarter of 2026, prompting a call for employers to "immediately" take action.
Findings from the latest Imperans report of The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) revealed that cocaine was present in 3.7% of positive tests in the fourth quarter.
This is a 148% increase from the 1.5% recorded in the third quarter of 2025, with the surge most observed in the Bay of Plenty, Auckland West, and Waikato.
"We warned employers in previous quarters that cocaine use was increasing across the nation, and Q4 data shows that this trend nearly doubled over the festive season," said Glenn Dobson, chief executive officer of TDDA, in a statement.
"This increase was particularly evident in Bay of Plenty, Auckland West, and Waikato. Businesses in the Bay of Plenty area need to take action immediately, as cocaine detections, which barely registered previously, rose to 9% of positive tests."
Cocaine is a highly addictive, powerful stimulant drug that causes overconfidence and reduces focus and concentration among users.
Dobson said employers operating in areas where cocaine detection exploded should immediately implement employee education and testing.
"There's a significant risk for businesses with heavy machinery, you don't want your workers operating chainsaws while on cocaine," the TDDA CEO warned.
Drug test results in New Zealand
Employers should also stay proactive amid the increasingly diverging workplace drug test results observed by the TDDA, according to Dobson.
Overall, four per cent of screens conducted by the TDDA in the fourth quarter indicated the presence of drugs, up from 3.75% in the previous quarter.
Cannabis remained the most prevalent substance detected, accounting for 67.5% of positive tests, down from the 71.1% peak recorded in the third quarter.
Many regions observed a decline in cannabis detection, but areas like Gisborne and Canterbury experienced a bounce-back during the fourth quarter.
Detection of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), including methamphetamine, was up nationwide in the fourth quarter and accounted for 24.5% of positive tests, up from 23.2% in the third quarter.
ATS saw sharp increases in Auckland West, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Northland, Southland, and Wellington, according to TDDA. It eased, on the other hand, in Canterbury, Manawatū-Whanganui, and Taranaki.
Opioids, including oxycodone, were present in 18.6% of positive tests, while benzodiazepines were detected in 2.9% of positive screens.
"When growth in detection continues across successive quarters, or when drug trends change significantly, it's a signal employers shouldn't ignore," Dobson said.
According to TDDA, employers should review and update their substance use policies at the start of the year, as well as invest in training and education.
Pre-employment testing should also be included in the recruitment process, while regular and random testing programmes should be maintained.
"As summer months continue past the holidays, the priority is stopping trends from becoming established behaviours in your workplace," Dobson said.
"That requires clear expectations through policy, consistent testing, and early intervention, particularly as people move into new roles or return to work after long weekends."
