FOI 0076-2025/26- Substance misuse tests

Request:

Q1. Please tell me, with reference to each of the last four financial years (21/22) (22/23) (23/24) and (24/25), the number of:

a) Substance misuse tests undertaken at random on your force's officers (not civilian staff)

b) Substance misuse tests administered with cause on your force's officers (not civilian staff)

c) Substance misuse tests given on a pre-employment basis to people applying to be a police officer with your force.

d) The number of positive tests to the number of tests undertaken in total for (a), (b) and (c).

Q2. Please break down 1d (the number of positive tests) by:

a) The drug detected (e.g. cannabis, cocaine).

b) The disciplinary measures resulting (e.g. final warning, dismissed, job offer withdrawn).

c) Whether the substance misuse test was given at random, with cause or on a pre-employment basis.

NOTE: For pre-employment tests, I do not require that you break down the number of positives by substance detected.

Response:

Extent and Result of Searches to Locate Information

To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted within North Yorkshire Police.

I can confirm that the information you have requested is held by North Yorkshire Police. 

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the following information to you.

Q1a-Q1d. Please see the table below showing the number of substance missue tests carried out on police officers between 01 April 2021 to 31 March 2025, broken down by category and financial year.

*Figures in brackets are positive test numbers

Q2a- Q2c. The information you have requested is published on the North Yorkshire Police website under the following link.

Outcome Summary Table 2016-Present | North Yorkshire Police

I have therefore decided to exempt providing you with a response to question 2 pursuant to Section 21 Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act).

Section 17 of the Act requires North Yorkshire Police, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which: (a) states that fact, (b) specifies the exemption in question and (c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.

Section 21 – Information Reasonably Accessible by Other Means

Section 21 is an absolute class based exemption and I am not required to consider the harm or public interest when applying this exemption.

Pursuant to Section 17(1) of the Act this letter acts as a Refusal Notice in response to your request.

Please note that systems used for recording information are not generic, nor are the procedures used locally in capturing the data.  It should be noted therefore that this force’s response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other responses you may receive.