The Govt Could Test Ya Sewage To Nail Down Those ‘Random’ Drug Test Sites

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Published

May 11, 2017

Treasurer Scott Morrison has confirmed what was already made abundantly clear in new budget documents: the sites of the incoming random drug tests for young Centrelink recipients won’t be random at all.

Speaking to Buzzfeed earlier this morning, ScoMo said the results of wastewater testing could very well be implemented, with the likely goal of identifying which three regions are most likely to contain Newstart and Youth Allowance recipients using illicit drugs.

ScoMo admits the government will be testing waste water to inform where it chooses to drug test welfare recipients #ScoMoLive

— BuzzFeedOz Politics (@BuzzFeedOzPol) May 10, 2017

This admission adds further context to official documentation on the plan, which states the government will use a “data-driven profiling tool developed for the trial to identify relevant characteristics that indicate a higher risk of substance abuse issues.”

The drug testing is only for Newstart & Youth Allowance (I.e. young people). Why limit it? Is it ok for Age Pensioners to get stoned? pic.twitter.com/tV3uQewYoW

— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) May 10, 2017

Effectively, this means the government will be able to hone in on young people receiving welfare payments while using illicit drugs, after it was announced payments would be cut off to individuals who fail those random drug tests.

We already have some insight into which regions may be targeted, thanks to the results of previous wastewater tests. A recent study identified methylamphetamine as the most-used illicit drug in the nation, with Adelaide, Perth, and regional Western Australia identified as regions of particularly high usage.

Notably, the random drug tests the government is planning won’t pick up on cocaine usage. FWIW, that wastewater test singled out Canberra as having a higher incidence of cocaine usage than other locales. Funny, that.

We’ll keep you updated when the locations of the trial are announced.

Source: Buzzfeed.
Photo: Universal History Archive / Getty.