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NZ workplaces face November deadline as cocaine screening limits cut in half

Sober Check

Key Facts:

• New Zealand workplaces must comply with the updated AS/NZS 4308:2023 drug testing standard by November 2026, when the 36-month transition period expires, with high-risk sectors including civil construction, forestry, heavy transport, and manufacturing among those most affected.
• The on-site cocaine screening threshold will be halved from 300 ng/mL to 150 ng/mL, aligning Australasia with global toxicological standards and expected to trigger an immediate rise in not negative screening results.
• Mandatory certified creatinine verification is being introduced to combat sample tampering, synthetic substitutions, and extreme hydration, alongside a new monthly quality-control protocol replacing the previous requirement for daily control tests.
• Updated employee informed consent procedures now require precise language and flawless execution to ensure the legal validity of test results.
• Workplace safety provider Sober Check is urging New Zealand businesses to audit their testing hardware and update their internal alcohol and drug policies before the November deadline to avoid legal exposure and operational disruption.

MEDIA SUMMARY: Sober Check has issued an urgent operational advisory for New Zealand workplaces ahead of the November 2026 expiration of the 36-month transition period for the updated AS/NZS 4308:2023 drug testing standard. Impacting high-risk sectors like civil construction, forestry, heavy transport, and manufacturing, the revised regime introduces stricter on-site requirements, including cutting the cocaine detection cut-off in half (300 ng/mL down to 150 ng/mL), mandating certified creatinine verification to combat sample tampering, introducing a practical monthly quality-control protocol, and enforcing precise language for employee informed consent. 

Managing Director Louis Foster warns that the lower cocaine threshold will trigger an immediate rise in initial "not negative" results targeting recreational use, urging Kiwi businesses to audit their testing hardware and update internal alcohol and drug policies before the grace period ends to ensure legal validity and site safety.

MEDIA RELEASE 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: Wednesday, 21st October 2026

HEADLINE: Changes to cocaine screening, one of the centrepieces of the new workplace drug testing regime to hit New Zealand workplaces next month

Auckland, New Zealand - Leading workplace safety provider Sober Check has issued an urgent operational advisory and compliance blueprint for New Zealand employers, as the 36-month transition period for the updated AS/NZS 4308:2023 workplace drug testing standard expires in November 2026. 

Changes to on-site cocaine thresholds, urine testing requirements and employee consent are just three of the changes that New Zealand workplaces will need to account for from next month. 

As the grace period ends, New Zealand businesses relying on workplace drug testing across high-stakes sectors, including civil construction, forestry, heavy transport, and manufacturing, need to align their hardware, testing procedures, and employment policies to avoid legal exposure and operational disruption. 

According to Sober Check Managing Director Louis Foster, these changes require workplaces to update policies and procedures to reflect the new standards and ensure compliance. 

"One of the more noticeable changes - the on-site screening threshold for cocaine drops from 300 ng/mL to 150 ng/mL, aligning Australasia with global toxicological standards - is just one of a suite of new guidelines that New Zealand workplaces will need to adhere to,” said Mr Foster. 

To help organisations navigate the final phase of the transition, Sober Check’s core testing suites - including the SCOUT OneStep and Medix Pro Split Cup - are fully accredited to meet the 150 ng/mL cocaine threshold and the updated creatinine appendix standards. 

Sober Check is also providing guidance to help Kiwi businesses update their internal alcohol and other drug (AOD) policies before the November deadline.

“Due to this employers should prepare for an immediate rise in initial "not negative" screening results targeting recreational use that previously went undetected - businesses that rely on drug testing to safeguard their operations need to audit their frameworks now. On top of this, updated consent procedures now mandate precise language and flawless execution to ensure they adhere to the mandated requirements to ensure the validity of test results.” 

Key changes under AS/NZS 4308:2023: 

• Halved cocaine detection cut-offs: The on-site screening threshold for cocaine drops from 300 ng/mL to 150 ng/mL, aligning Australasia with global toxicological standards. Employers should prepare for an immediate rise in initial "not negative" screening results targeting recreational use that previously went undetected.

• Mandatory creatinine verification: To combat sample tampering, synthetic substitutions, and extreme hydration, the standard now mandates certified creatinine testing patches and ongoing quality-control validation using high- and low-creatinine control solutions.

• Streamlined monthly quality control: Replacing the commercially onerous requirement to run daily control tests, the 2023 standard introduces a streamlined monthly batch control protocol per storage location - significantly reducing device waste for regional and remote operations.

For more information on updating workplace testing hardware, control protocols, or policy documentation, visit www.sobercheck.co.nz.

About Sober Check:  

Sober Check has supplied drug and alcohol testing equipment, training and support to New Zealand workplaces for more than 20 years, and has operated in Australia since acquiring CMM Technology in 2025. Its customers include occupational health providers, addiction treatment services, and employers in transport, forestry, construction and other safety-sensitive industries.

For all media enquiries, images, or interviews, please contact e [email protected] /  p + 64 9 918 2437. 

ENDS

About us:

About Sober Check:  

Sober Check has supplied drug and alcohol testing equipment, training and support to New Zealand workplaces for more than 20 years, and has operated in Australia since acquiring CMM Technology in 2025. Its customers include occupational health providers, addiction treatment services, and employers in transport, forestry, construction and other safety-sensitive industries.

Contact details:

For all media enquiries, images, or interviews, please contact e [email protected] /  p + 64 9 918 2437.