Drug and alcohol abuse is a serious workplace issue. Of the 16.7 million illicit drug users aged 18 or older, 12.4 million (74.3 percent) were employed either full or part time, according to the U.S. government. More than one in three (38 percent) workers between the ages of 18 and 25 are binge drinkers. By occupation, the highest rates of current illicit drug use and heavy drinking were reported by food preparation workers, waiters, waitresses and bartenders (19 percent); construction workers (14 percent); service occupations (13 percent); and transportation and material moving workers (10 percent).
Employers are increasingly taking action to address the costs of substance abuse in terms of employees’ health and productivity.
Six out of 10 adults know someone who has reported for work while under the influence of drink or drugs. The impact on those with the problems as well as their colleagues is enormous. In financial terms, alcohol and drug abuse is thought to cost U.S. businesses over $81 billion annually in lost productivity, and causes employers to incur a 300 percent increase in medical costs and benefits. In human terms, up to 40 percent of industrial fatalities and 47 percent of industrial injuries can be linked to alcohol consumption and alcoholism. Substance abusers are five times more likely to file worker’s compensation claims, and likely to use two-and-one-half times more medical benefits.
According to the Labor Department, five million of the country’s estimated nine million employed substance abusers work for small companies.
Do Something About It – The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a Drug-Free Workplace Kit, suitable for all sizes of workplaces. The free kit provides public and private workplaces with practical evidence-based information, resources, and tools for producing and maintaining drug-free workplace policies and programs.
There are very simple steps employers can take to prevent these problems and assist employees in need of help. This kit is good for their businesses and good for the health and safety of their employees.
The health and wellness-focused kit addresses these problems by explaining to employers what to do in order to protect and prepare the workplace, identify substance abuse-related issues, and provide prevention education and assistance to employees. It discusses the importance of understanding the legal aspects of the problem as well as how to build a team, assess the workplace, develop a policy, and plan and implement a program to address illicit substance use and abuse in their workplaces and workforces. It also provides guidance on setting up systems for evaluating the program’s effectiveness.
The kit was developed using experiences from large and small employers, practitioners, researchers, and evaluators in the field, and includes approaches that are listed in SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.
Results from workplace drug tests nationwide indicate that significant progress is being made in reducing drug use among the American workforce. However there is still much to be done. Substance abuse is costly and dangerous for American businesses, employees, and consumers, costing businesses estimated billions of dollars a year. Employers of all sizes should take advantage of the multiple opportunities and resources, like this kit, to educate their workforce on the negative consequences of substance abuse.”
The kit has nine pullout brochures, 13 fact sheets, a bumper sticker, and two large posters for display in workplaces. The kit’s major sections are:
• Components of a Drug-Free Workplace
• How to Assess Your Organization’s Needs
• How to Develop a Drug-Free Workplace Policy
• Educating Your Employees
• Training Your Supervisors
• Creating an Employee Assistance Program
• Drug Testing in the Workplace
• Workplace Substance Abuse Prevention Resources and References
• An Implementation Guide
The kit is free and available in print and online versions. To access and download the online version of the kit, go to www.workplace.samhsa.gov/WPWorkit/index.html . For guidance about implementing and adapting the workplace programs, call 1-800-Workplace (1-800-967-5752), or email HELPLINE@SAMHSA.HHS.GOV .
Cary Quashen is a certified addiction specialist and president and founder of ACTION Family Counseling Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs located in the Santa Clarita Valley and can be reached at 661-713-3006.