Imperans Q1 Report, State of Workplace Drug Use from TDDA
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, 21 April 2026 – The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA), New Zealand’s largest workplace drug testing provider has launched its Q1 Imperans Report, a quarterly workplace drug trends report. The report empowers New Zealand employers to engage in proactive workplace risk management. It provides them with an analysis of drug and alcohol usage trends, combining results from across the country.
In Q1 2026, 3.0% of screens conducted by TDDA indicated the presence of drugs. While this is down from 4.0% in Q4 2025, what is concerning is changes in the types of drugs detected.
The data points to three broad shifts. A welcome easing in the overall detection rate is countered by a persistent and widening expansion of Opioid detections: a 34.5% Year on Year (YoY) increase compared to Q1 2025, the most significant shift of any substance nationally. The third is a partial retreat in cocaine detections following Q4’s significant spike, though at 1.9% in Q1 2026, levels remain above the 1.7% recorded in Q1 2025, suggesting a gradual upward trend that goes beyond seasonal effects.
Among all positive TDDA results, the most prevalent substances detected were:
· Opioids, including oxycodone: up 34.5% YoY, from 14.3% in Q1 2025 to 19.2% in Q1 2026
· Cocaine: up 11.4% YoY, from 1.7% in Q1 2025 to 1.9% in Q1 2026
· THC (Cannabis): down 0.8% YoY, from 68.7% in Q1 2025 to 68.1% in Q1 2026
· Amphetamine-Type Substances (ATS), including methamphetamine: down 25.8% YoY, from 31.2% in Q1 2025 to 23.2% in Q1 2026
“The overall number may suggest things are moving in the right direction, but a Year-on-Year lens and the regional picture tell a different story, “says Glenn Dobson, CEO of TDDA.
“Opioids, Cannabis and ATS are expanding across multiple regions, and that is a risk employers cannot afford to overlook. Unlike a sudden spike in cocaine detections, these are slow-moving and more consistent trends that embed themselves into workplace culture before most employers even notice. That said, cocaine is not a substance to dismiss. While Q1 detections (1.9%) have retreated from the Q4 peak (3.7%) – likely driven by the Christmas and summer holiday period – levels remain above this time last year, which may point to a steady and increasingly entrenched supply network.”
Regional highlights
TDDA tracks regional fluctuations in substance use to help employers better manage workplace safety risks through targeted testing, education, and early intervention.
Full regional stats can be found here: https://tdda.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Graphs-for-Indd-Q1-25-Q1-26_NZ.pdf
Q1 data shows that these trends are playing out unevenly across the country, with Opioids and Cocaine expanding nation-wide on a YoY basis, while Cannabis and ATS are showing an increase in specific regions.
Opioids
Opioids have increased in 11 out of 16 regions compared to Q1 2025. Among the regions recording the most significant increases:
· Taranaki: up 386.9% YoY, from 6.3% in Q1 2025 to 30.4% in Q1 2026, the largest increase of any substance in any region
· Northland: up 192.3% YoY, from 7.4% in Q1 2025 to 21.6% in Q1 2026
· Auckland East: up 117.8% YoY, from 10.2% in Q1 2025 to 22.2% in Q1 2026
Cocaine
Nationwide Cocaine detections (1.9%) remain above Q1 2025 levels (1.7%), suggesting the trend has not fully reversed. Employers in previously flagged regions are especially encouraged to maintain vigilance, with notable increases in:
· Auckland West: up 414.8% YoY, from 0.8% in Q1 2025 to 4.2% in Q1 2026
· North Shore: up 197.3% YoY, from 1.1% in Q1 2025 to 3.3% in Q1 2026
· Wellington: up 53.5% YoY, from 1.6% in Q1 2025 to 2.4% in Q1 2026
Cannabis
Cannabis remains the most prevalent substance nationally, present in 68.1% of positive tests. While broadly stable YoY (down 0.8% YoY, from 68.7% in Q1 2025 to 68.1% in Q1 2026), regional divergence is widening, with notable increases in:
· Gisborne: up 29.8% YoY, from 64.7% in Q1 2025 to 84.0% in Q1 2026, the sharpest regional increase
· Tasman: up 22.5% YoY, from 58.3% in Q1 2025 to 71.4% in Q1 2026
· Manawatū-Whanganui: up 11.0% YoY from 64.4% in Q1 2025 to 71.4% in Q1 2026
ATS
While ATS detections have declined at the national level, regional divergence remains sharp, with notable increases in:
· Gisborne: up 240.1% YoY, from 11.8% in Q1 2025 to 40.0% in Q1 2026, the largest regional increase
· Bay of Plenty: up 27.5% YoY, from 37.2% in Q1 2025 to 47.5% in Q1 2026
· Southland: up 48.0% YoY, from 18.9% in Q1 2025 to 28.0% in Q1 2026
Recommendations
” What this data reinforces is that a one-size-fits-all approach to workplace drug management is no longer sufficient,” says Dobson.
“Opioids are quietly but persistently spreading across the country. Unlike substances that tend to produce obvious signs, they can be harder to spot in the workplace, and by the time the problem becomes visible, it may have already been ongoing for some time. If your workforce operates machinery, drives vehicles, or operates in safety-sensitive environments, an employee who is silently struggling with opioid use is not just a health risk – they are a safety risk to everyone around them.”
TDDA recommends that employers regularly review their drug and alcohol policies to ensure they reflect the latest regional trends. Where detections are rising, whether opioids, cocaine, or other substances, implementing a testing programme, including pre-employment and regular and random testing, is one of the most effective tools for early warning and intervention.
If a testing programme is not yet in place, or has not been reviewed for some time, addressing this should be a priority. Combining this with ongoing training and education to ensure managers are equipped to have early, supportive conversations with employees, rather than waiting for an accident to happen, also creates a more comprehensive approach.
The earlier the intervention, the better the outcome for the safety and health of your employees.
Methodology: Tests from 27 sterile clinic locations and over 60 mobile clinics throughout New Zealand were used. All tests were taken between 1 January and 31 March 2026. Data from pre employment, post incident, regular and random testing has been combined. Testing methods included urine and oral fluid screening. Data is reported into, anonymised, and aggregated using TDDA’s Imperans system, a bespoke IT platform for testing services, data recording, and reporting. It represents a snapshot of drug trends across Australasian workplaces and industries.
Total figures on testing volumes or testing results by industry and region are commercially sensitive.
TDDA drug tests screen for amphetamines; benzodiazepines; cocaine; methamphetamine; opiates and opioids; Cannabis; and synthetic drugs.
About the Imperans Report
The Imperans report addresses an information gap for business. Government organisations like ACC and WorkSafe publish incident reports, but they do not quantify when substances are a factor. Reports build businesses’ understanding of substance use patterns regionally and temporally so that they can anticipate and reduce workplace risks. TDDA provides over 250,000 tests every year.
About The Drug Detection Agency
The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) is a leader in workplace substance testing with more than 300 staff, 90 mobile health clinics, 65 locations throughout Australasia. TDDA was established in 2005 to provide New Zealand and Australian businesses with end-to-end workplace substance testing, education and policy services. TDDA holds ISO17025 accreditation for workplace substance testing in both AU and NZ. Refer to the IANZ and NATA websites for TDDA’s full accreditation details. As members of the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA) and the California Narcotic Officers Association (CNOA), TDDA closely follows and acts on global drug trends.
Learn more about TDDA by visiting https://tdda.com/
