Scientists at the University of Auckland have successfully used New Zealand’s wastewater to monitor alcohol consumption. The use of wastewater to monitor illicit drugs has been in place in New Zealand since 2018 and wastewater was also used to monitor Covid-19. However, this is the first time wastewater sampling has been used to track alcohol consumption in Aotearoa.
Ten water catchment areas (covering about 40 percent of New Zealand’s population) were monitored over six months during 2021. Four catchment areas were located in Auckland – north, central, west, and south – and one each in Palmerston North, Wairoa, Dunedin, Queenstown, Westport, and Christchurch. Sampling took place over seven days each month.
Based on the results, New Zealand’s average alcohol consumption was estimated to be 1.2 standard drinks each day for people aged 15 and over.
Regarding the distribution of alcohol consumption, the sampling showed:
South Islanders consumed more alcohol than North Islanders.
Smaller settlements had higher consumption than bigger ones.
South Aucklanders drank the least of any place studied.
From a workplace point of view, it is important to remember that alcohol is the most widely consumed drug in New Zealand. A worker under the influence of alcohol can adversely impact the workplace due to their unfitness for work, increased safety risks or compromised work performance.
It is, therefore, vital that your employees understand,
Your organisation’s expectations around alcohol, and
Their obligation to keep themselves and others safe from the effects of alcohol while at work.
If alcohol use is posing safety risks at your workplace, DASA-NZ can help with policy development, worker education and testing. For more information, get in touch via sales@dasa-nz.co.nz or call us on 0800 000 011.
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DASA-NZ (Drug and Alcohol Solutions New Zealand) is proud to be leading the way in workplace drug and alcohol testing services throughout New Zealand. Whether your need is for workplace drug and workplace alcohol testing, advice on drug and alcohol policy or ideas on how to communicate your workplace expectations, policies and procedures to your staff, DASA-NZ can help. We have the experience, technical expertise and people to lead you to the right solution.
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