Workplace Drug & Alcohol Testing
Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/26/004819/N
Version Date: 20/07/2026
The Professional Standards Department has provided the following information:
Please could you provide the following information:
1. Does your force operate a workplace drug and alcohol testing policy for officers and/or staff? If so, please provide a copy of the current policy, or confirm the date it was last reviewed.
No, however, a workplace and drug and alcohol policy for Dorset Police is currently in the feedback review stage prior to any amendments and final publication.
- Does the policy include the following safeguards: (a) Engagement
of an independent Medical Review Officer (MRO) or equivalent qualified professional to review positive drug test results before any disciplinary action is taken;
Yes. Any non-negative results are reviewed, a medical questionnaire is completed, further testing sent to the laboratory (if required), and then the final results are reviewed by a doctor to establish if the non-negative result may be due to a legitimate reason or not.
(b) Obtaining an independent toxicological opinion when a positive result may be attributable to legal substances (such as over-the-counter CBD products, prescription medication, or dietary sources);
Yes.
(c) Offering confirmatory re-testing or independent analysis following a disputed positive result;
Yes.
(d) Referral to Occupational Health before disciplinary proceedings are initiated on the basis of a drug test result;
Yes.
(e) Maintenance of a written drug and alcohol testing policy that meets the standards recommended by the ACAS guidance on managing drug and alcohol misuse at work?
The drug and alcohol policy has been sent to the Police Federation, UNISON and Human Resources for consultation. Feedback has been received and this is currently under review prior to any amendments and final publication.
- What type of drug screening devices or methods are used for initial testing (e.g. oral fluid point-of-care immunoassay, urine immunoassay, laboratory analysis)?
Urine testing is used for initial testing. It is an immediate result dip sample against the five groups of drugs.
- Are all positive screening results confirmed by a second, independent analytical method — specifically GC-MS or LC-MS/MS — before any disciplinary, welfare, or employment decision is made?
Yes, see 2(a).
- Is your force aware that peer-reviewed literature confirms that lawful, everyday substances can produce false positive results on immunoassay-based screening devices? Documented sources of cross-reactivity include poppy seeds, over-the-counter CBD products, prescribed medications (including codeine, tramadol, gabapentin, and certain antidepressants), tonic water, bananas, passive or environmental exposure to cannabis smoke, and certain antihistamines — among others.
Yes.
- Has your force received any complaints, grievances, or representations from officers or staff who attributed a positive drug test result to any lawful source in the last five years? If so, how many and what was the outcome?
No.
- What guidance, if any, has been issued to staff involved in drug testing about the possibility of false positives from lawful substances, and the appropriate steps to take before acting on a screening result?
This is explained at the time of testing by the external testing company. In addition to this, the subject of drug and alcohol testing is included in training inputs by Professional Standards.