Employers urged to prioritise regular drug testing, early intervention
New Zealand workplaces recorded fewer overall drug detections in early 2026, but a sharp rise in opioid use is alarming safety experts, according to new data from The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA).
TDDA's latest Imperans Report shows 3% of drug screens conducted in the first quarter of this year indicated the presence of drugs, down from 4% in the final quarter of 2025.
However, the composition of those positive tests has shifted towards more dangerous substances.
Opioid detections – including oxycodone – rose 34.5% year-on-year, climbing from 14.3% of positive results in Q1 2025 to 19.2% in Q1 2026.
Over the same period, amphetamine-type substances (ATS), including methamphetamine, fell from 31.2% to 23.2%, while cannabis remained broadly stable, accounting for 68.1% of positive tests.
"The overall number may suggest things are moving in the right direction, but a Year-on-Year lens and the regional picture tell a different story," said TDDA chief executive Glenn Dobson in a statement.
"Opioids, Cannabis, and ATS are expanding across multiple regions, and that is a risk employers cannot afford to overlook. Unlike a sudden spike in cocaine detections, these are slow-moving and more consistent trends that embed themselves into workplace culture before most employers even notice."
Underlying drug detection trends
According to the report, opioid detections have risen in 11 of 16 regions, with Taranaki, Northland, and Auckland East recording some of the largest jumps.
National cocaine detections sat at 1.9% in Q1 2026, down from 3.7% in Q4 2025 but still above the 1.7% recorded a year earlier.
While ATS detections have declined nationally, the report noted steep localised increases in some regions, such as Gisborne, the Bay of Plenty, and Southland.
Dobson urged organisations, particularly those operating in safety‑sensitive environments, to revisit their approaches to drug risk.
"What this data reinforces is that a one-size-fits-all approach to workplace drug management is no longer sufficient," he said.
"Opioids are quietly but persistently spreading across the country," he added. "If your workforce operates machinery, drives vehicles, or operates in safety-sensitive environments, an employee who is silently struggling with opioid use is not just a health risk – they are a safety risk to everyone around them."
TDDA suggested a regular review of drug and alcohol policies to ensure they reflect recent regional trends, adding that this can be combined with ongoing training and education to ensure managers are able to have early, supportive conversations with employees.
"The earlier the intervention, the better the outcome for the safety and health of your employees," the agency said.
