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Creating safe working environments

By Craig Hingston

DRUG Safe Communities has announced a strategy to establish the nation's first drug safe industrial community in Western Sydney.

The organisation, which was founded by long time anti-drugs campaigner Michael White, will focus their efforts initially on the Wetherill Park-Smithfield region.

Michael started his crusade in the late 90s after losing his business partner to heroin addiction, a tragedy which led to the closure of that business.

The announcement was made at a breakfast at Eastern Creek organised by the Cumberland Business Chamber. The event was named Navigating The 21st Century Ice Age". Dr Tharid Ali was announced as the person to lead the campaign.

"It's all about changing lives and creating safe working environments," Michael said.

"For employers, it also means increased productivity, improved morale and reduced insurance premiums when your work place is drug safe."

Michael said his organisation has already reduced drug use from 15 percent to just one percent in Western Sydney companies.

"Seventy percent of drug users are employed. They need their jobs to support their habits. Two thirds of them use their drugs at work,” he said.

“Some business owners believe they know their staff but my own story shows just how you can be taken completely by surprise and lose everything you have to drugs.

"When you consider that some employees are operating complex equipment and machinery and they drive vehicles on the road and in warehouses, what is the potential risk to them and their work mates.”

Michael said Drug Safe Communities assists employers by running drug awareness workshops. Testing of staff is confidential and they try to keep people in their jobs. When they find people with an addiction issue they refer them to specially trained counselling services.

Dr Tharid Ali is preparing to meet with business in Wetherill Park and Smithfield.

Drug Safe Communities provides screening and testing services (oral fluid, urine and alcohol), assistance with development of policies and procedures, education workshops and training, competency courses, alcohol and other drugs awareness, mobile clinics, self-testing kits and test results analysis. 

Contact the Cumberland Business Chamber for more information: 02 9757 4794.

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