The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) tracks regional fluctuations in drug detections to allow employers to better address workplace safety through targeted testing and education services.
The Imperans Report provides New Zealand employers with an analysis of drug and alcohol usage trends, combining results from around the nation to empower businesses to engage in proactive workplace risk management.
Overall detections have remained relatively steady but are accompanied by a marked increase in cannabis use. It’s a concern for employers ahead of the holiday season where, traditionally, usage increases during the summer months, says TDDA Chief Executive Glenn Dobson.
“Cocaine use has been steadily increasing over the year, and we believe that’s in no small part due to cartel activity,” he says.
“Cocaine tends to be considered a more white-collar drug, and it has a seasonal pattern where usage tends to increase over the holidays. Corporate businesses have an increased awareness because they’re concerned, and rightly so, about the behaviour of their staff and their company’s reputation.”
As social gatherings rise, the line between recreation and workplace risk can blur, says TDDA. Employers must remember that compliance requires them to keep people safe at events, on-site, and even on the way home.
In the third quarter, 3.75 percent of the screenings conducted by TDDA indicated the presence of drugs. THC (cannabis) remained the most prevalent substance detected in workplace drug tests, accounting for 71.1 percent of total positive1 testing.
Recent data also indicates a generally stable trend in opioid detections. That said, regions such as Gisborne recorded a sharp quarterly increase of 41.7 percent.
These results suggest shifting patterns in substance use that requires greater employer awareness and policy reinforcement, says TDDA.
Below are substances detected nationally and compared to Q2 levels from TDDA’s testing results:
- Cannabis (THC): was present in 71.1 percent of positive tests, up 7.9 percent from Q2 2025.
- Amphetamine-type substances (ATS), including methamphetamine: were present in 23.3 percent of positive tests, down 7.7 percent from Q2 2025.
- Opioids: were present in 18.6 percent of positive tests, down 2.6 percent from Q2 2025.
- Benzodiazepines (BZO): were present in 2.2 percent of positive tests, down 2.5 percent from Q2 2025.
- Cocaine: was present in 1.5 percent of positive tests, down 0.2 percent Q2 2025.
These regional shifts underline the importance of regular testing, education, and the basic reminding of staff that the company’s drug and alcohol policy is taken seriously.
“Cannabis has always been an issue for employers, but the data is telling us that use is very prevalent. Opioids saw modest declines in the regions, except for in Gisborne where we’re advising employers to take action now. A 50 percent surge in detections usually means there is easy access and abundant supply, that creates a risky climate for people conducting business,” says Dobson.
“The early cocaine detections on the North Shore, The Lakes and in Canterbury are also concerning, cocaine is a serious drug and adversely affects performance.”
TDDA recommends that companies review and update drug and alcohol policies as well as to consider return to work testing, to train managers to recognise the signs of use, particularly the subtle signs of prescription medications, and to ensure regular and random drug testing to deter misuse and protect workplace safety.
“Reinforcing policies now can prevent difficult conversations or accidents between employers and employees. Talking about return-to-work testing reminds people that safety doesn’t take the holidays off and everyone needs to come back to work fit for duty,” adds Dobson. “It’s about balancing goodwill with responsibility.”
TDDA drug tests screen for amphetamines; benzodiazepines; cocaine; methamphetamine; opiates; oxycodone; cannabis; tramadol; fentanyl; as well as synthetic drugs like synthetic cannabis.
The Imperans Report addresses an information gap for business. Government organisations like ACC and WorkSafe publish incident reports, but they do not quantify when substances are a factor. Reports build businesses’ understanding of substance use patterns regionally and temporally so that they can anticipate and reduce workplace risks. TDDA provides over 250,000 tests every year.
TDDA holds ISO17025 accreditation for workplace substance testing in both Australia and New Zealand.. Refer to the IANZ and NATA websites for TDDA’s full accreditation details. As members of the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA) and the California Narcotic Officers Association (CNOA), TDDA closely follows and acts on global drug trends.