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Drug-Free Workplace on National Agenda
Statistics suggest that employers’
response to employee drug and alcohol use may be somewhat akin to
putting a finger in the dike.
Of the 17 million adult illicit drug
users in the United States, 75 percent were employed in 2005, the most
recent year from which data are available. About 42 million binge
drinkers and 12 million heavy alcohol users were also working,
according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA).
In
a recent survey of more than 1,000 senior human resource professionals
conducted by the Hazelden Foundation, which specializes in addiction
treatment, the majority of respondents said their companies perform
some form of drug screening; a significant percentage reported that
their companies also provide access to employee assistance programs.
However, respondents identified numerous barriers that prevent them
from openly confronting substance abuse issues and referring employees
to appropriate treatment options. They said recommendations from
occupational health and substance abuse professionals on effective
interventions would be appreciated.
Obstacles to effective interventions cited by respondents include:
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Difficulty with getting employees to discuss the issue (54 percent);
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Lack of experience in identifying substance abuse and addiction (20
percent);
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Lack of information regarding treatment options (16 percent);
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Personal discomfort in approaching employees about the issue (13
percent); and
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Not having enough time to deal with substance abuse and addiction
issues (13 percent).
Eighty-five percent of the respondents said they believe educational
programs to help build understanding about addiction and its effects
would be helpful. Proposed educational topics include identifying
substance abuse and addiction in the workplace, discussing the issue
with employees and choosing the most effective treatment options for
employees.
Another study shows that drug users are
more likely to work for companies that do not require pre-placement
drug or alcohol testing. Nearly a third of current illicit drug users
say they would be less likely to work for employers who conduct random
drug testing, according to Worker Substance Use and Workplace
Policies and Programs, a SAMHSA study.
The study is based on data collected from a representative sample of
128,000 individuals ages 18 to 64 who participated in the agency’s
National Survey on Drug Use and Health. SAMHSA defines illicit drug
use as the use of marijuana/hashish, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens,
inhalants and prescription psychotherapeutics used
non-medicinally. Heavy alcohol use is defined as drinking five or more
drinks on the same occasion on five or more days in the past 30 days.
Illicit drug use and heavy alcohol use reportedly are associated with
higher levels of absenteeism and frequent job changes. Other
statistics of note:
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Nearly twice as many drug users reported skipping one
or more days of work in the past month compared to workers who did
not abuse drugs.
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Drug users were far more likely than non-users to
report missing two or more work days in the past month because of an
illness or injury, and they had higher job turnover rates.
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Among full-time workers who reported current illicit
drug use, 12 percent said they had worked for three or more
employers in the past year, compared to 5 percent of non-abusing
workers.
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The highest rates of illicit drug use occurred among
food service workers (17 percent) and construction workers (15
percent). The highest rates of heavy alcohol use were found among
construction, mining, excavation and drilling workers (17 percent),
and installation, maintenance and repair workers (14 percent).
"Employees who use drugs miss work more
often, are less healthy, and are more prone to harming themselves and
others in the workplace,” said John Walters, director of National Drug
Control Policy.
“We hope that employers will take note
of this report and consider implementing workplace drug testing
policies that can help prevent drug use before it starts, help
identify drug-using employees who need drug treatment services and
also reduce employers’ liability from drug-related workplace
accidents.”
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