Most of the people who use illegal drugs in the United States and approximately 15 million heavy drinkers hold full-time jobs where they pose serious problems for the health, well being and productivity of everyone around them. Food service and construction workers have the highest rates of illicit drug use, a new Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration study found.

The study estimates that there are 16.4 million current illicit drug users with full-time jobs and about 15 million drinkers who met the criteria for alcohol dependence. Both groups pose significant risks to their own health and productivity as well as others around them.

"Employees who use drugs miss work more often, are less healthy, and are more prone to harming themselves and others in the workplace," Director of National Drug Control Policy John Walters said, "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."

Higher Levels of Absenteeism

Some of the study findings included:

• The highest rates of current illicit drug use were among food service workers (17.4 percent) and construction workers (15.1 percent).

• Highest rates of current heavy alcohol use were found among construction, mining, excavation and drilling workers (17.8 percent), and installation, maintenance, and repair workers (14.7 percent).

• Illicit drug use and heavy alcohol use are associated with higher levels of absenteeism and frequent job changes, the report said.

• Nearly twice as many current illicit drug users skipped one or more days of work in the past month compared with workers who did not abuse drugs.

• Drug users were also far more likely to report missing two or more work days in the past month due to illness or injury compared with workers who did not abuse drugs.

• Drug users also had far higher job turnover rates with 12.3 percent reporting they had worked for three or more employers in the past year, compared with 5.1 percent of non-abusing workers.

• Nearly a third of current illicit drug users said they would be less likely to work for employers who conducted random drug testing.

Helpline for Employers

"Substance abuse is a serious problem for the health, wellbeing and productivity of everyone in the workplace," said SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, Ph.D., in a news release. "One important way SAMHSA is addressing this public health risk is with 1-800-Workplace (1-800-967-5752), a helpline for employees and businesses dealing with problems related to substance abuse.

"The helpline provides advice on programs that can make a dramatic difference to everyone in the workplace – programs such as substance abuse policy development, supervisor and employee substance abuse education, employee assistance, and drug testing."

"The high rates of drug and alcohol use in hazardous industries is cause for concern," said Elena Carr, drug policy coordinator at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). "Clearly businesses can ill-afford the risk of having workers operating meat slicers, backhoes, or other dangerous equipment while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which is one reason why DOL helps employers and employees work together to proactively prevent such safety hazards."

The full report is available online. Copies of the full report are available for free from SAMHSA's Health Information Network at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727). Request inventory number SMA-07-4273.

Workplace Issues:

• Drug Testing: Keeping it Legal
  
• Hangovers - A Pain in the Workplace
  
• Substance Abuse in the Workplace

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