All the answers on drug testing
Illicit drug use is unacceptable in the Air Force.
It poses a continuing threat to Air Force’s ability to sustain operational capability by undermining safety, morale, security, and the public perception of Air Force.
The Air Force Illicit Drug Testing Program will deter illicit drug users by providing reasonable assurance they will be detected and dealt with. Director General Personnel of Air Force addresses members’ questions on the issue.

What is the purpose of testing for illicit drugs?

THE purpose of illicit drug testing is to ensure safety and the maintenance of operational capability by the prevention and detection of illicit drug use. It is not to detect illegal and criminal activity and then punish those involved in such activity.

Who will be tested for illicit drugs?

ALL officers, non-commissioned officers and airmen/airwomen of the Air Force (including Reserves on service) are liable to be tested under this program.

Why introduce testing for illicit drugs now?

COMMUNITY and Government expectations require the Air Force to be a professional, welltrained, well-equipped, and fit fighting force. Air Force members using illicit drugs are hindering Air Force’s ability to meet these expectations. Illicit drug testing is about making people accountable for their actions, and making people responsible for being able to carry out their duties in a safe and professional manner.

Why is Air Force intolerant of illicit drug use?

MEMBERS involved with illicit drugs are participating in an illegal activity. Participation by Air Force members with any illegal activity is inconsistent with their obligations to Defence, and opens the member to coercion by foreign and criminal elements.

This may potentially threaten the national interest. Illicit drugs, or legal drugs (prescription or over-the-counter) not used in accordance with medical instructions, have the potential to adversely affect the health and performance of the individual.

This impairment may adversely impact the health and safety of the individual, their work colleagues, other Australian Defence Force (ADF) members, and in turn the operational effectiveness of Air Force units.

Defence is a dangerous environment to work in and any activity that places our people in unnecessary danger will not be tolerated.

Is there an inconsistent approach being shown by Air Force with respect to trusting our people and then testing them for illicit drugs?

ILLICIT drug testing supports Air Force values ‘to develop and support its people’ and to ‘be a safe and equitable place to work’.

Testing supports our people by providing members reasonable confidence their work environment is a safe place to work, given current legal and legislative constraints.

This is achieved by providing reasonable assurance illicit drug users will be detected and dealt with. Testing supports the principle of ‘People First’, by striking a balance between the competing needs of the individual, their family, their commander, their peers, and the Air Force.
‘People First’ reflects our concern to support and be equitable to all Air Force people.

What does zero tolerance mean?

ZERO tolerance means Air Force will not ignore illicit drug use once it is detected. All Air Force staff (both uniformed and non-uniformed) have a responsibility to report suspected or known illicit drug use by any ADF member through their chain of command.

Members suspected of illicit drug use may be subject to investigation by Service Police and / or targeted illicit drug testing under the Air Force Illicit Drug Testing Program. The Air Force Illicit Drug Testing Program allows for random and targeted testing of Air Force members.

Why have targeted illicit drug testing?

IF there is any suspicion that a member is involved with illicit drugs Air Force has a duty of care to follow up with targeted testing. This is our duty of care to protect our members, and extends not only to the suspected individual, but also to their work colleagues who may be unwittingly affected. This is zero tolerance at work.

What drugs will be tested for?

ILLICIT drugs that can be tested for under this program include:

• Narcotic substances as defined in the Customs Act 1901 (e.g. marijuana, cocaine, opiates, LSD, and methylamphetamines);
• Those drugs whose possession or use is prohibited or restricted by:
  Commonwealth, State or Territory laws which are applicable to a member;
  The law of any country to which a member is deployed and is bound to observe;
  Or as prohibited by order of a commander of a force deployed overseas
• Any drug the use of which is inconsistent with, or is unrelated to, its prescribed use (for example benzodiazepines); or
• Any other drug or substance (e.g. steroids and magic mushrooms) allowed for testing under DI(AF) PERS 4-26-Illicit Drug Testing in Air Force.

Who selects personnel for testing for illicit drugs under the Air Force Illicit Drug Testing Program?

DIRECTOR General Personnel - Air Force (DGPERS- AF) will select Air Force personnel for testing under this program.

How often will members be itesting for illicit drugs?

DEPUTY Chief of Air Force (DCAF) sets illicit drug testing targets in Air Force. Members may be tested anytime within DCAF’s guidelines. The probability of any one individual being tested will vary.

How is testing for illicit drugs done?

THE approved testing method is urinalysis. Testing will be carried out in Air Force by medical personnel, or suitably trained personnel specifically approved by DGPERS-AF. Illicit drug testing is a two step process involving a screening test (conducted on site), and a subsequent confirmatory test (conducted at a contract laboratory) if a member has a positive screening test result.

What must a member do during screening test for illicit drugs?
You are responsible for:

• Complying with directions given by testing staff;
• Not leaving the waiting area unless speci. cally authorised by testing staff;
• When directed, providing a urine specimen;
• Viewing the screening test and if required, the sealing of the specimen before shipping for a con. rmatory test; and
• When directed, signing documentation relating to the screening test.

You have the following rights:

• Privacy while producing the urine specimen (nobody will watch you provide the specimen);
• Privacy of information on the test results; and
• The right not to inform testing staff about any prescription medication you may be taking for a legitimate reason.

Note: IT is a member’s right to or not to declare any prescription medicine they may be taking for a legitimate reason, whether the medication was provided by a Defence or civilian medical service provider.

However, members should be aware that some prescription medicines may produce a positive screening test and subsequent positive confirmatory test.

If a member claims that a positive confirmatory test was the result of approved prescription medicine use, the member will be required to provide proof (doctors certificate, medical record, etc) of their lawful access to the prescription drug.

What if a member refuses the test?

MEMBERS cannot be physically forced to provide the required specimen.

However, members who refuse to provide a specimen will be ordered by a superior of. cer to provide the specimen.

Members who disobey the command from the superior officer to provide the specimen will have their conduct reported to the chain of command for consideration of DFDA action under s 27 of the DFDA, Disobeying a Lawful Command.

These members may also be subject to administration action that could eventually lead to discharge. A member who refuses to provide a specimen will thereafter be target tested.

How long does screening testing for illicit drugs take?

THE screening test takes 8-10 minutes, depending on the time taken to obtain the urine specimen, and to detect any drug(s) metabolite(s) present (marijuana, cocaine, opiates, benzodiazepines and methylamphetamines). Members who test negative to illicit drug metabolites during the screening test result will return to duty.

What are drug metabolites?

DRUG metabolites are the chemicals the body expels as a result of drug use. Drug metabolites may be present in a member’s urine from a range of legal and illegal sources. This is why con. rmatory testing is used.

What does a positive screening test result mean?

A POSITIVE screening test means that illicit drug metabolites may have been detected in a member’s urine. This is not an indication or confirmation of involvement by the member with illicit drugs, but only flags the sample for further laboratory confirmatory testing.

What will happen if a member has a positive screening test?

IF A member returns a ‘positive’ screening test for drug metabolites, their commander may redeploy them from any workplace or duties involving safety or security related tasks.

This may include them being excluded from driving Service vehicles, including hire cars, aircraft, boats or other similar equipment, operating machinery, handling weapons, ammunition or explosives.

If they are employed in supervisory, decision-making or instructional roles they may be temporarily relieved of these duties until a confirmatory test result is known.

On return to the unit a member testing positive during an illicit drug screening test will be interviewed by their OC/CO or someone in an appropriate command position (not below the rank of Warrant Officer).

This will enable appropriate counselling, support, and monitoring mechanisms to be put in place until the results of the confirmatory test are received.

Guidance on counselling is provided in DI(AF) PERS 4-26-Illicit Drug Testing in Air Force.

Additionally, advice on counselling techniques can be found in DI(AF) PERS 4-14-The Use and Misuse of Alcohol in the RAAF and DI(AF) PERS 4-19-Management of Unacceptable and Unsuitable Behaviour.

During interview, any information discovered that indicates a civil offence (or an additional Service offence) may have been committed constitutes a notifiable incident and will be reported to a Defence Investigative Authority. Information about a member’s positive screening test will be treated sensitively and on a strict need-to-know basis.

Will a screening test always be used?

GENERALLY a screening test will be used. However, there may be circumstances when a screening test is not used and in these instances the urine specimen will be sent directly to a laboratory. When testing for steroids or magic mushrooms a screening test will probably not be used.

What is the time delay between a positive screening test and a result from the confirmatory test likely to be?

CONFIRMATORY illicit drug testing will normally take five working days from dispatch of the urine specimen to notification of the result.

What happens to a member if the confirmatory illicit drug test is positive?

DISCIPLINARY action will not be taken against any member as a result of any positive illicit drug test under the Air Force Illicit Drug Testing Program.

All outcomes from the Air Force Illicit Drug Testing Program are administrative in nature. However, any information subsequently discovered during the administrative process that indicates a civil offence (or an additional Service offence) may have been committed constitutes a notifiable incident and will be reported to a Defence Investigative Authority.

Any member returning a positive illicit drug confi rmatory test will be subject to a Quick Assessment to establish the member’s pattern of illicit drug use and any involvement of other ADF members in illicit drug use.

The purpose of this assessment is to ascertain if there are any background or systemic reasons, which may be affecting the health and safety of the tested member or other members. Following the Quick Assessment an Illicit Drug Use Report will be raised by the member’s unit for DGPERS-AF.

Before dispatch, the Illicit Drug Use Report will be issued to the member who will have 14 calendar days to provide comment. A Termination Notice (Notice to Show Cause) will then be raised by AFHQ, and the Termination Notice presented to the member through their unit OC/CO.

The member will then have 28 calendar days to respond to the Termination Notice.

The member’s response will then be forwarded to the Delegate through the unit OC/CO. Upon receipt of the member’s response, the Delegate will make a final decision on the member’s continued service in Air Force, and the member will be advised of the outcome through their unit OC/CO.

What about rehabilitation for illicit drug users?

AIR Force members identified as illicit drug users (under any extant ADF policy or program, or through a member’s self referral) will be offered treatment for their illicit drug use while they remain members of the Air Force.

Any decision by Air Force to retain the member’s services is independent of the success or otherwise of the member’s treatment.

To put this another way, serving members identified as illicit drug users will receive clinical treatment for their addiction if they agree to receive treatment.

Air Force has a duty of care to provide appropriate clinical support to its members.

However, a member’s commitment to treatment or the successful outcome of the treatment will not affect administrative action undertaken.

Why won’t people be charged after testing positive to illicit drugs under the Air Force testing for illicit drugs program?

THERE is no legal framework that allows sanction under the DFDA for illicit drug use detected by random or targeted urinalysis testing under the Air Force Illicit Drug Testing Program. This may change in the future to meet the needs of the Service.

What role has SECPOL in illicit drug testing?

THE Air Force Illicit Drug Testing Program is separate from any investigation by Service Police. Any test result, document, admission or information given in answer to a question posed during an illicit drug test conducted under the Air Force Illicit Drug Testing Program cannot be used against the tested member in DFDA proceedings relating to the use of illicit drugs.

Nevertheless, Service Police may still be called in to investigate an individual following a positive illicit drug test, when there is a concern of possible illicit drug use by others, or there is a suspicion that other Service (or civil) offences may have been committed.

What happens if illicit drug use is detected or suspected outside the auspice of the Air Force Illicit Drug Testing Program?

When illicit drug use is detected or suspected outside the auspices of DI(AF) PERS 4-26 the provisions of DI(G) PERS 15-2-Involvement by Members of the ADF with Illegal Drugs and DI(AF) PERS 4-19 are used. Therefore, the Air Force Illicit Drug Testing Program has no involvement.

However, involvement with illicit drugs by any Air Force member qualifies as serious misconduct, and commanding officers must raise an adverse report on the member(s) involved.

Commanding officers have two choices when raising the adverse report(s):

• Take action with respect to the member(s) in isolation, and raise an adverse report(s) in accordance with DI(AF) PERS 4-19, addressing the issues raised in 15-2.
• Take action to discover the extent of the problem. This may include an external investigation by SECPOL or an internal administrative investigation in accordance with Australian Defence Force Publication 202-Administrative Inquiries Manual. Following the investigation raise an adverse report(s) in accordance with DI(AF) PERS 4-19, addressing the issues raised in 15-2.

Before a commanding officer decides what is the most appropriate course of action, advice should first be sought from SECPOL and DPA/DPO-AF.

An investigation prior to taking administrative action may be able to discover the extent of drug use within the unit (if any) and if other civil offences (or additional Service offences) have been committed.

Will members receive any form of illicit drug awareness training?

APPROPRIATE illicit drug awareness training and education will be provided to all Air Force people.

This training will provide Air Force members knowledge of their rights and responsibilities with respect to illicit drug testing. Members will be informed when and where training will take place through their chain of command.

Additionally, under the new policy all Air Force members will be required to attend yearly illicit drug awareness lectures.

When will testing for illicit drugs start?

THE Illicit Drug Testing Program under DI(AF) PERS 4-26 has commenced.

What sort of information will be kept?

ALL test results, both positive and negative, will be recorded on PMKeyS. This will enable statistical reporting to Government, CAF, and DCAF to be made.

Additionally, a record of attendance of illicit drug awareness sessions will be kept on PMKeyS. All information will be handled in accordance with normal in-confi dence procedures.

Where can members get more information?

THE following policy documents can provide you with further information:

• DI(G) PERS 15-2-Involvement by Members of the Australian Defence Force with Illegal Drugs.
• DI(AF) PERS 4-14-The Use and Misuse of Alcohol in the RAAF.
• DI(AF) PERS 4-19-Management of Unacceptable and Unsuitable Behaviour.
• DI(AF) PERS 4-26-Illicit Drug Testing in Air Force.
• Australian Defence Force Publication 202-Administrative Inquiries Manual.

  The information contained in this article is for policy guidance only, and not an authority in itself. The information is correct at the date of printing but will change over time as new regulations, directives and instructions are implemented. Q&A prepared by SQNLDR Ewen Seabrook, DGPERS-AF.

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