New workplace drug‑testing data shows a sharp rise in cocaine detections across the country, signalling what experts say is a concerning shift in New Zealand’s drug‑use landscape.
The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) has released its results for the three months to December, revealing that cocaine appeared in 3.7 percent of all positive tests — more than double the rate recorded in the previous quarter.
TDDA identified Bay of Plenty, Auckland West, and Waikato as the regions showing the steepest increases.
Under New Zealand employment law, employers are allowed to carry out random drug testing, but only in specific circumstances. Random testing typically applies to safety‑sensitive roles — such as transport, construction, forestry, logistics and manufacturing — where impairment could pose serious risks.
It must also be explicitly stated in the employee’s contract or in the company’s formal drug and alcohol policy. Without this, employers risk breaching privacy rights or opening themselves to legal challenges over unjustified testing.
Chief Executive Glenn Dobson told broadcaster Mike Hosking of Newstalk ZB that the upward trend is worrying, especially alongside New Zealand’s already well‑established methamphetamine problem.
“New Zealand already has a strong use base of methamphetamine, and now we’re starting to see a real increase in cocaine usage, which is a real concern for us,” Dobson said.
Industry experts say the rise may reflect changing drug supply lines, increased workplace testing, or shifting social patterns — but all agree the new data points to a growing presence of cocaine in New Zealand communities.
TDDA conducts tens of thousands of workplace drug tests annually across sectors including transport, construction, manufacturing and logistics.
The latest figures suggest employers may need to prepare for a wider range of substances appearing among staff.
The agency is expected to release a full breakdown of its annual statistics later this year.
