CASA Drug and Alcohol Rules for Pilots: Where Hair Testing Fits In

If you fly—or plan to—in Australia, your history with drugs and alcohol is taken seriously. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) operates a highly regulated, safety-focused framework, and it is important to understand what is tested, when, and where hair testing fits—because it is often misunderstood.

CASA’s Core Drug and Alcohol Framework

CASA’s requirements sit under Part 99 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASR). These rules require aviation organisations to implement a Drug and Alcohol Management Plan (DAMP) for anyone performing a safety-sensitive aviation activity (SSAA), including pilots, cabin crew, engineers, and certain ground personnel.

Standard Testing Methods

For routine compliance—such as pre-employment, random, and post-incident testing—the approved methods are:

Breath alcohol testing: Personnel must not exceed a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of $0.02$ , measured via breath testing devices that meet Australian Standard AS3547.
Oral fluid (saliva) drug testing: This is the primary drug screening method under CASR Part 99, used in both employer DAMP programs and CASA’s independent random testing.

Hair testing is not part of this regulatory testing framework.

The Pilot Medical Certification Process

To obtain or renew a pilot licence, applicants must hold a valid aviation medical certificate (Class 1, Class 2, or Basic Class 2), issued by a Designated Aviation Medical Examiner (DAME).

This process includes a health declaration requiring full disclosure of any history of drug or alcohol misuse. Failure to disclose relevant history can result in serious consequences, including regulatory action and potential offences under aviation law.

For applicants with no relevant history, hair testing is not required and usually does not form part of the standard medical certification pathway.

Where Hair Testing May Be Used

Hair testing becomes relevant in more complex medical certification cases—particularly where a pilot must demonstrate a sustained period of abstinence following:

A positive DAMP test
Suspension or cancellation of a medical certificate
A disclosed history of substance dependence or misuse

In these situations, CASA relies on clinical assessment rather than prescribing a single testing method. A DAME, often in consultation with addiction specialists, may require evidence of sustained abstinence over time.

In these cases, hair testing may be requested as supporting evidence. While not mandated by CASA, it is an internationally recognised tool that can assist in demonstrating longer-term patterns of substance use, alongside other testing methods such as urine, blood, or breath analysis.

Programs such as HIMS Australia, which support pilots recovering from substance dependence, may incorporate a range of monitoring approaches, which can include hair testing.

Why Hair Testing Can Be Useful

Unlike breath or saliva testing, which detect recent use, hair testing provides a retrospective view:

Head hair grows at approximately cm per month (with some variability)
A standard sample can reflect several months of substance exposure
Segmental analysis can help demonstrate patterns over time

This makes it particularly useful for supporting evidence of sustained abstinence, rather than point-in-time results.

However, hair testing has limitations. It does not detect very recent use (typically the past few days), results can be influenced by hair length, hair treatment, and individual variability, and interpretation should always be done in the context of other clinical information.

EtG Hair Testing for Alcohol

For alcohol monitoring, laboratories analyse hair for Ethyl Glucuronide (EtG), a direct metabolite of alcohol that becomes incorporated into the hair shaft.

The Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) provides widely accepted interpretive thresholds:

≤ pg/mg: Consistent with abstinence
> pg/mg: Indicates repeated alcohol consumption
≥ pg/mg: Strongly suggests chronic excessive consumption

Testing conducted by a NATA-accredited laboratory using these cut-offs provides objective data to support clinical assessment.

Not all DAMEs or cases will require hair testing; requirements vary depending on individual circumstances. Urine testing is often used for short-window, higher-frequency monitoring, whereas hair testing provides a longer window with less frequent sampling.

Key Takeaways for Pilots and Applicants

Be accurate and complete in your medical disclosures; non-disclosure can have serious consequences.
Routine CASA and DAMP testing relies on breath and oral fluid methods.
Hair testing is not part of standard CASA testing and is not required usually for routine medical certification.
It may be used as supporting clinical evidence in cases requiring demonstrated long-term abstinence, based on the judgment of a DAME and relevant specialists.
CASA medical certification decisions are based on a holistic clinical assessment, not any single test result.
Hair testing should be interpreted alongside other clinical information, including history, behavioural reports, and other testing methods.

Forensic Toxicologist Services for CASA-Related Cases

If you’re a pilot navigating CASA medical certification after a positive DAMP test, a disclosed history of substance use, or a request for evidence of sustained abstinence, our forensic toxicologist can support you in making sense of your results and strengthening the evidence you provide to your DAME.

Result Interpretation

If you’ve received a hair test result — such as an EtG reading — our toxicologist can explain what it means in clinical terms: whether the level is consistent with abstinence, occasional use, or heavier consumption, referencing recognised interpretive thresholds (such as those published by the Society of Hair Testing). This gives you a clear picture of your result before you submit it as part of your medical certification case.

Second Opinion / Peer Review

If you already have a result or interpretation from another lab or clinician — particularly a borderline or disputed one — our toxicologist can provide an independent review, helping you understand whether the original interpretation holds up and what it means for your case.

Consultation with Your DAME

Rather than relaying technical detail yourself, our toxicologist can liaise directly with your DAME, providing supporting clinical context to help inform their assessment of your case.