Pubdate: Tue, 16 Aug 2005
Source: Central Leader (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2005 Central Leader
Contact:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3532
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

UNION SAYS NO NEED FOR LAW CHANGE OVER WORK DRUG USE

Laws already cover workplace drug use, but education and enforcement
is the key to accident prevention, the Engineering, Printing and
Manufacturing Union (EPMU) says.

Far North coroner Robin Fountain has called for a law change to ban
anyone from smoking cannabis before using boats, vehicles, aircraft or
machinery.

Mr Fountain yesterday reported on the deaths of skipper Gregory
Thirkettle and crew member Mark Scott when their fishing boat Iron
Maiden sank southwest of Cape Reinga last August.

Mr Fountain said the only cause he could find for the foundering which
led to the men drowning was Mr Thirkettle's cannabis-influenced
decision to carry on in stormy weather.

He agreed with the Transport Accident Investigation Commission that
the deaths had nothing to do with an alleged botched rescue attempt,
as claimed by ACT Party leader Rodney Hide.

But in reply to Mr Fountain's call for new legislation around
cannabis, EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said today Health and
Safety in Employment laws already covered drug use.

"There's specific reference in that legislation to employers having to
ensure that the risk or hazards associated with the employee being
under the influence of drugs or alcohol have to be addressed," he told
NZPA.

"The law is already there, but what is needed is a combination of
education and enforcement to make sure employers are doing that."

The EPMU had an education programme called Not On The Job Mate, which
it made available to employers.

The union would have no objection to a saliva swab test being
introduced for employees, if a reliable one could be developed, as
urine testing was intrusive and attacked people's dignity, Mr Little
said.

Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven said today Australia had
been trialling a saliva swab test.

However, the first test result taken to an Australian court had ended
in a not guilty outcome on the proviso that the test was unreliable.

"Until we get to the point of a simple scientific test which is
reliable, then these court prosecutions would be fairly disastrous to
undertake," Mr Duynhoven told National Radio.

In the area of road safety, specialists from the United Kingdom had
recently been here to train New Zealand police in recognising symptoms
of drug use before sending people for a blood test.

"That is really the only effective tool we have at the moment," the
minister said.

Police could take someone off the road for any reason if they believed
their driving was impaired, as in the recent case of a kava drinker in
Auckland.

"However, it is extremely difficult to police the maritime sector, you
have people who are at sea for days, or weeks - how can you have any
other regime other than relying on the responsibility and common sense
of the person involved?"

Auckland University's Professor Ross McCormick, a seafarers' examiner
for Maritime NZ and a drug and alcohol expert, said today overseas
studies had suggested fishermen may use cannabis to relieve boredom at
sea.

Saliva swab tests for detecting cannabis use had potential, he said.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin