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The Majority of Drug Abusers are Employed!
FACT: Only about 23% of our nation’s drug-abusers are sitting around in the abandoned buildings and back alleys of our cities shooting up heroin, snorting coke, taking a hit of grass, or popping some meth...
FACT: The other 77% of all drug-abusers are EMPLOYED!
The war on drugs has been going on for some time now. Illegal drugs seem to be everywhere and that includes the workplace. In a recent statement, Barry McCaffrey, the (former) White House drug policy director, told reporters that "the typical drug user is not poor or unemployed." In fact substance abusers are drivers, welders, bartenders - one could even be your store manager!
The Department of Health and Human Services recently released a report that stated 44% of drug users work for small companies. That same study found that 7.7% of workers between the ages of 18 and 49 used illegal drugs in the previous month. Furthermore, young, white, undereducated males are the most likely to use drugs.
In the restaurant industry, according to the Wall Street Journal,  workers admitted to stealing $218 in food and property each year. Usually they do this through unauthorized meals for themselves and friends. However, those with drug and alcohol problems stole five times the amount.
Your employees' behavior at work affects everyone and it also affects the bottom line. Abusers are less productive; miss more workdays; often injure themselves or coworkers; file more worker's compensation claims. No one company can absorb the costs incurred by this segment of the work force, but someone does pay. Employees pay through higher insurance premiums, lesser salaries and smaller benefit packages. The consumer ends up paying higher prices for goods.
Managers and owners should be aware of some of the telltale signs of abuse. Watch out for employees who are often late or absent. Those same people have trouble keeping their emotions intact. They are moody or are prone to unusual flare-ups of temper. Their physical appearance starts to deteriorate and their relationships with the other workers fall apart. As far as the job is concerned, these people are more concerned with their addiction than your business. Watch carefully for those people who are always borrowing money from others or who frequently need an advance on their salary. Have you ever checked the company credit cards and noticed that an employee has made personal charges? Not only do these people hurt the morale and productivity of the company, they can also ruin a company's image and reputation.
There are some things a manager or owner can do to fight the drug and alcohol problem in the workplace. Institute a drug policy for the company, and enforce it. Have drug testing as part of the hiring process. Make sure everyone knows that the consequences will be severe if drugs are found on the premises or on an individual. Educate your managers and employees on the dangers of drugs -- both physically and professionally.
 If your company has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), let all employees know it is there for them to use. If an EAP is unavailable, help that person find a treatment service or
help develop one.
Establish an employee association to set up an anonymous hotline for reporting drug trafficking on the job. That line could also be used by employees who want to get clean but do not know where to go for fear of being arrested.
Finally, examine your own habits. Is a drinking or drug problem hurting you, your family, your coworkers, or the company you have worked so hard to establish? If you find yourself answering yes to any of these questions, seek help.
Firing these employees is not always the best way to handle the situation. Replacing a normally good employee is costly. Some experts estimate that a salaried person costs up to $7,000 to replace, more than $10,000 to replace a midlevel employee, and over $40,000 to replace a senior executive. So you see, treatment for the abuser is actually good business.
There are facts to back this statement. Recovering addicts are less likely to be involved in crime and more likely to be employed. Your tax bills can actually be lower because helping people stay off drugs saves tax dollars in law enforcement and health services.
Workers in the following occupations report the highest rates of current and past illicit drug use:
- Construction crews
- Food preparation workers
- Waiters and waitresses
Heavy alcohol use followed a similar pattern, although auto mechanics, vehicle repairers, truck drivers and laborers also have high rate of alcohol use (USDHHS, SAMHSA, Drug Use etc., p.1)
 Urinalysis for drug use is used to screen job applicants by many of the Nation's largest employers, including major corporations, manufacturers, public utilities, transportation and many small businesses. In general, most companies have an established policy that they will not hire individuals who present positive urine indications current use of illicit substances. However, many of these companies also counsel applicants who fail the drug screen to seek treatment to reapply for employment.
Several recent surveys have collected information on drug testing. These surveys vary in size, target populations, and focus, but together give a picture of the status of testing in business and industry. Overall, 6 surveys have found that from 20-33% of companies surveyed have a drug testing program, with significant differences between companies of different types.
In general, the larger the company, the more likely it is to have a drug testing program. One survey by the American Management Association found:
- 15% of companies doing under $15 million do testing
- 36% of companies over $1 billion do some testing
Recreational drugs and their side effects
A QUICK SUMMARY
Amphetamines (Speed) and Cocaine
As the addiction to these drugs gets worse, a user becomes obsessed with getting the drug. They cannot stay focused on tasks. They lose their appetite. Behavior becomes extreme; always either really excited or really depressed. It is not that hard to overdose on speed or cocaine because once a user starts using, they want more and more of the drug to keep the high going. So that’s what they do: get high again and again, usually until the money runs out. When the drug starts to wear off, they feel depressed and tired, so they keep using the drug. Before they know it, they are addicted or considered an abuser of drugs.
Marijuana / Cannabis
Regular use of marijuana causes a loss of interest and motivation: A user becomes lazy and does not care about making life better. They begin to feel depressed. It can also damage ones lungs. It affects the brain and may cause them to become fearful as well as forgetful. Focusing on tasks is difficult. They become more interested in getting high than in spending time with friends; they may lose "straight" friends. They lose the energy and drive to be involved in fun activities that don’t include using marijuana.
PCP, LSD, Designer Drugs
These drugs bring to the mind hallucinations -- seeing and hearing things that are not really there. When this happens to a user at work, they could do foolish or dangerous things. These drugs make people think they are stronger and more powerful than they really are.
Accidents are more likely to happen due to poor judgment, and concentrating becomes really hard. Sometimes people who are high on these drugs become anxious and violent, and this can lead to fights and other negative behaviors in the workplace.
Prescription Drugs
Sometimes drugs prescribed by a doctor for anxiety or pain can lead to abuse or addiction. Many people become hooked on these drugs without realizing it. Using prescription drugs that alter a mood can affect a person’s job performance and could contribute to accidents or costly mistakes at work. It is important that they talk to their doctor to be sure they understand the effects of any drug they might take. If they want to know about the risks, ask their doctor to explain them to them, or ask any pharmacist. It’s better to be careful than to risk becoming addicted.
Heroin and other Opiates
An opiate is a drug that makes a user sleepy and lessens pain at the same time. There are legal uses for some opiates: A doctor might give an opiate to ease pain, stop diarrhea, or calm a cough. Heroin is an opiate; its effects on the body are similar to the other opiates given by doctors. However, heroin often contains a lot of impurities that add to its harmful effects.
Sometimes opiates are taken as pills; other times they are injected. Whether a person starts using opiates given by a doctor or uses them to change his or her mood (get high), long-term use can result in these problems: abuse or addiction; tolerance (when it takes more of the drug to get the same effect); and dependence (when pain occurs if the drug use is stopped). Being hooked on any type of opiate can disrupt a person’s life, family, and job.
 The above information is cited from:
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations) SAMHSA is An Agency of the US. Department of Health & Human Services.
For a detailed recap of Commonly Abused Drugs, click here.
If you would like more information on this problem, contact your precinct's Community Outreach Officer. Here are some agencies you and your employees can contact for help and information:
Department of Labor: DRUG FREE WORKPLACE
American Council on Alcoholism Help line: 1-800-527-5344
 NarAnon:1-310-547-5800
Tough Love: 1-800-333-1069
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAT) Drug-Free Workplace Help line: 1-800-WORKPLACE Treatment Hotline: 1-800-662-HELP
Parents Resource Institute for Drug Free Education (PRIDE): 1-404-577-4500
Families Anonymous: 1-800-736-9805
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