Workplace Prevention

Scope of the Problem

Compared with non-substance-abusing workers, substance abusers tend to be less productive, take more days off, be more likely to injure themselves or someone else, and file more workers' compensation claims. More specifically, SAMHSA reports the following statistics:

• 1.
  Problems related to substance abuse (i.e., drugs and alcohol) cost businesses over $80 billion in lost productivity a year,
• 2.
  substance-abusing workers only function at 67% of their total capacity,
• 3.
  nearly 40% of work-related fatalities and 47% of work-related injuries can be attributed to alcohol use and alcoholism,
• 4.
  employees who use drugs are more than three times more likely to be involved in a workplace accident and five times more likely to file a workers' compensation claim,
• 5.
  approximately 500 million workdays are lost each year as a result of alcoholism,
• 6.
  employees who use drugs are twice as likely to request early dismissal or time off or have absences in excess of 8 days and three times as likely to be late for work, and
• 7.
  employees who use drugs cost their employers almost twice as much in medical claims.

Furthermore, data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health revealed that full-time workers, ages 18 to 49, with current illicit drug use lacked job stability. As staggering as these figures are, it is even more difficult to quantify the impact on employee morale and impaired judgment and decision making at work caused by substance abuse. Given the prevalence of substance abuse, coupled with the amount of time spent at work, the workplace presents a tremendous [Page 1016]opportunity to educate employees about substances and assist substance abusers in seeking help.

Prevention

In response to the growing concern over drug and alcohol abuse and the effect on workplace safety and productivity, the federal government established the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1986, which requires all federal grantees and some recipients of federal contracts to provide a drug-free workplace as a condition of receiving federal funds. More specifically, all employees must adhere to policies and procedures designed to provide a safe workplace, discourage substance abuse, and encourage treatment and return to work for those employees with abuse problems. Substance abuse prevention and early intervention strategies and activities may include a drug-free workplace program, an employee assistance program (EAP), a health promotion or Wellness program, an occupational health and safety program, and drug testing. Regardless of the type of program offered, SAMHSA recommends, at minimum, that workplace intervention programs should include the

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