Drug Tests are commonly taken out in places of employment that require their employees to be 100% sober to safely carry out their duties. So often, employers such as construction companies, airlines and medical professionals seek the right to randomly test their employees to reduce any incidence of drug and alcohol impairment in compliance with OH&S policies.

Taking drugs is a personal choice, and unfortunately is the culprit for many workplace incidents. It’s important to understand just how long drugs stay in your system and can impair your ability to work effectively. While it is not recommended in any case to take drugs whatsoever, people still do.

Use this chart from Australian Drug Testing Kit providers OzDrugTests to determine how long each type of common drug stays in the system.

The refusal of an employee to undergo drug or alcohol testing where the contract of employment refers to the employer’s company policy which expressly requires an employee to comply with the policy could be deemed by the Fair Work Commission to have refused to obey a lawful and reasonable direction by the employer and may be grounds for a valid reason for dismissal.

Most drugs will generally appear in your urine or saliva within 2 – 8 hours after use.  With blood drug tests the detection is almost immediate.  Drugs can be detected in the hair on your head about 5 – 7 days after use.  Detection in your body hair take as bit longer to show up as body hair generally grows slower.

DSI
Starts
Hours		 UDT
Urine
Days		 HDT
Hair
Days		 SDT
Saliva
Days		 BDT
Blood
Days
Amphet­a­mines 1 – 4 5 90 3 1
– MDA 2 – 7 5 90 3 1
– Ephedrine / Pseudoephedrine 2 – 7 5 90 3 1
Bar­bi­tu­rates
– Inter­me­di­ate Act­ing – Butalbital 2 – 7 7 90 3 3
– Inter­me­di­ate Act­ing – Amobarbital 2 – 7 7 90 3 3
– Short Act­ing – Pentobarbital 2 – 7 8 90 2 2
– Short Act­ing – Secobarbital 2 – 7 8 90 2 2
Buprenor­phine 3 – 8 7 90 3
– Buprenex 2 – 4 7 90 3 1
– Norspan 3 – 8 10 90 3 1
– Sub­ox­one 2 – 4 7 90 3 1
Ben­zo­di­azepine
– Long Act­ing – Valium 2 – 7 42 90 3 2
– Inter­me­di­ate – lpra­zo­lam / Xanax 2 – 6 10 90 3 1
– Inter­me­di­ate – Lorazepam Ativan 2 – 7 10 90 3 1
– Inter­me­di­ate – Oxazepam 3 – 8 10 90 3 1
– Inter­me­di­ate – Chlordiazepoxide 2 – 6 10 90 3 1
– Inter­me­di­ate – Clonazepam 2 – 7 10 90 3 1
– Inter­me­di­ate – Flunitrazepam 3 – 8 10 90 3 1
– Short Act­ing – Triazolam 2 – 6 10 90 3 1
– Short Act­ing – Flurazepam 2 – 7 10 90 3 1
Cocaine – Crack 1 – 7 2 90 3 3
Codeine 2 – 7 5 90 3 3
Ecstasy 2 5 90 3 1
Heroin 2 2 2 2 2
Hydrocodone
– Vicodin 2 – 6 6 90 2 2
– Norco 2 – 6 6 90 2 2
– Lortab 2 – 6 6 90 2 2
– Lorcet 2 – 7 6 90 2 2
Ket­a­mine 1 – 4 7 90 7 Unknown
LSD 2 – 6 5 90 3 3
Mar­i­juana
– Sin­gle Use 1 – 4 3 90 2 1
– Casual (1– 3 Times Per Week) 0 14 90 2 1
– Heavy User (3+ Times per Week) 0 28 90 4 5
– Chronic (Longer Than 3 Months) 0 77 90 4 7
– Hashish 1 – 4 42 90 4 5
– Hash Oil 1 – 4 42 90 4 5
Meth (MethAm­phet­a­mine) 2 – 7 5 90 3 1
– Des­oxyn 2 – 7 5 90 3 1
Methadone 1 – 4 12 90 7 1
Mor­phine 2 – 7 2 – 7 2 – 7 2 – 7 3
Mush­room 2 – 6 5 90 3 Unknown
Nico­tine
– Nico­tine – Casual User 1 – 4 5 90 3 2
– Nico­tine – Chronic User 0 14 90 7 5
Opi­ates 90 2
– Lau­danum 1 – 4 1 90 2 2
– Butor­phanol 2 – 7 2 90 2 2
– Sadol 2 – 7 2 90 2 2
– Codi­ene 2 – 7 5 90 2 3
– Dex­tro­prox­phene 2 3 90 2 2
– Heroin 2 2 2 2 2
– Hydrocodone
– Hydro­mor­phone 2 – 6 3 90 2 2
– Dilau­did 2 – 6 3 90 2 2
– Mor­phine 2 – 7 2 – 7 2 – 7 2 – 7 3
– Oxy­codone 2 – 7 5 90 2 3
– Oxy­Con­tin 2 – 7 5 90 2 3
– Per­co­cet 2 – 7 5 90 2 3
– Per­co­dan 2 – 7 5 90 2 3
– Tylox 2 – 7 5 90 2 3
– Oxy­mor­phone 2 – 7 5 90 5 3
– Opana 2 – 7 5 90 5 3
– The­baine 2 – 7 5 90 2 1
– Rox­anol 2 – 7 5 90 5 3
PCP 90
– PCP – Casual User 2 – 6 7 90 3 1
– PCP – Habitual 0 10 90 5 2
Ritalin – Methylphenidate 1 – 4 5 90 5 Unknown
Val­ium 2 – 7 42 90 3 2
– Diazepam 2 – 7 42 90 3 2
Xanax 2 – 6 10 90 3 1
– Alpra­zo­lam 2 – 6 10 90 3 1

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