Drugs fine sends a signal
A fly-in, fly-out worker who admitted to possessing human growth hormones for cosmetic purposes has been made an example, copping a large fine aimed at deterring others considering similar actions.
Thirty-five-year-old Joshua Sagor was dealt a spent conviction and fines amounting to more than $4500 at the Karratha Magistrates Court last month after being found with human growth hormones and syringes on Barrow Island.
Magistrate Deen Potter said at the hearing Sagor was "placing everyone at risk" by possessing the substance on the island.
Sagor is the third worker on Barrow Island to be caught with prohibited human growth hormones this year.
Barrow Island officer-in-charge Sergeant Phil Cartledge said he was pleased to see Sagor was handed a significant fine.
"This guy got quite a large fine, which hopefully is restricting use because they're aware if they get caught then they face large fines," he said. "We are aware it is used in the mining industry … for fitness and muscle growth but to say it is large-scale here, you can't say that.
"We've got very strict quarantine procedures on Barrow Island - a lot of stuff is detected in Perth before it gets here."
Sgt Cartledge said Barrow Island police and Australian Federal Police officers were working together to ensure growth hormone abuse did not become a bigger issue.
Mining Industry Advisory Council executive officer Doug Brown said there was a lot of anecdotal evidence of growth hormone abuse but trying to pin down solid evidence was difficult.
"It's one of those underlying issues where companies know about it and are not happy with it," he said.
"What is going to happen here is there will be an unfortunate incident which will draw the public and industry's attention to it.
"Employees have a duty of care to not put themselves and other people at risk … with steroids there's rage issues and inappropriate behaviour, so they are putting themselves at risk."
Mr Brown said there was a market for performance-enhancing drugs in the mining industry.
Curtin University school of physiotherapy and exercise science research director Kevin Netto said it was still unknown what incorrect or excessive use of growth hormones could do to the body.
Dr Netto said patients using growth hormone treatments had suffered muscle and joint pain, hypertension, hypothyroidism and leukaemia.
