It’s been estimated that 1 in 10 employees in the U.S. workforce has a substance abuse problem.

The personal impact of substance abuse on an individual can be devastating. It has a destructive effect on just about every part of a person’s life. The substance abuser may end up losing everything, including family, home, friends, savings, job, and physical and mental health.

On the job, the negative fallout of substance abuse includes a steady deterioration in work performance, unreliability, and recklessness that can jeopardize the safety of coworkers, the integrity of company products and services, and the company’s reputation.

Substance abuse in the workplace is a real and dangerous problem—one that every employee must understand and take seriously.

Session Objectives

The main objective of this session is to help you understand the impact of substance abuse in the workplace and to suggest ways that you can help us deal with this serious problem. By the time this session is over, you should be able to:

• Comprehend the harmful impact of substance abuse in the workplace;
• Understand the requirements of the law and company policy;
• Identify the ways in which alcohol and drugs impair job performance;
• Recognize signs of substance abuse; and
• Take appropriate action to deal with abuse problems.

What You Need to Know

During the session, we will discuss:

• The scope, cost, and control of workplace substance abuse;
• The effects of alcohol and drugs on job performance;
• How to recognize a substance abuse problem;
• What to do about a coworker’s problem; and
• How to get help for a drug or alcohol problem.

The Scope of the Problem

Let’s begin by looking at the scope of the workplace substance abuse problem.

• Surveys repeatedly indicate that substance abuse is a widespread and persistent problem in plants and offices across the country. It’s estimated that 10 percent of all U.S. workers have a substance abuse problem. In fact, the number could be much higher.
• Some 73 percent of all current illegal drug users aged 18 and older are employed. Over 6 million active alcoholics are on the payrolls of U.S. companies. Again, the real numbers may be even higher.
• Sixty percent of workers say they know someone who has reported for work under the influence of alcohol. One in five report that they have had to work harder, redo work, cover for a coworker, or have been put in danger or injured because of a coworker’s substance abuse.
• Alcoholism and drug abuse have been called “democratic diseases” because they can victimize anyone regardless of age, sex, race, education, social status, or occupation.

Think about how substance abuse could affect your job.

The Cost of Substance Abuse

If you are surprised by the scope of the problem, you’ll be shocked at the costs.

• It’s been estimated that substance abuse costs U.S. businesses more than $50 billion every year—and again, that figure could really be even higher.
• Studies show that alcohol and drug abusers are generally far less productive, make more mistakes, and take three times as many sick days as other employees. One major automaker, for example, reports that substance-abusing employees average 40 days of sick leave annually versus 5 days for other employees.
• Abusers are also three to four times more likely to have an accident on the job than other workers, and they are five times more likely to file workers’ compensation claims.

The Cost of Substance Abuse (cont.)

• Substance abuse in the workplace also costs lives. Forty percent of industrial fatalities are linked to drug or alcohol abuse on the job. Ten to 20 percent of workers who die on the job every year test positive for drugs and alcohol. Some of the ones who don’t were probably the innocent victims of a coworker’s abuse problem.
• Forty-seven percent of all occupational accidents—that’s nearly half—can be attributed to substance abuse. That’s a truly shocking— and frightening—statistic.
• Furthermore, substance abuse is responsible for a large amount of the crime and theft that occurs in U.S. workplaces. According to a survey of callers to the National Cocaine Hotline, 44 percent say they have sold drugs to fellow employees. Eighteen percent admitted to stealing from coworkers to support their habit. Substance abuse is also responsible for assaults and other serious crimes in the workplace.

Drug-Free Workplace Act

Because workplace substance abuse had become such a large and costly problem by the mid-1980s, the U.S. Congress passed the Drug-Free Workplace Act in 1988. This law is designed to help companies combat drug abuse on the job.

• The law says companies that do business with the U.S. government, which includes a large percentage of corporate America, must have a written policy explaining the rules against drugs in the workplace. The policy must be distributed to all employees, and it must state that employees can’t use, distribute, sell, or make drugs at work.
• The law also requires companies to have drug awareness programs to educate workers about the dangers of drug use, particularly on the job.
• Employees convicted of criminally violating drug-free workplace rules must report the conviction to the company within 5 days. The company then has 10 days to report the conviction to the government.
• The company then has 30 days to take appropriate action. Such action might take the form of discipline—up to and including discharge.
• Alternatively, a company can decide to help the employee get into a government-approved treatment program. The employee must complete the treatment program or risk losing his or her job.

OSHA Requirements

The Occupational Safety and Health Act also requires companies to recognize the problem and protect workers from workplace substance abuse.

• Although there are no specific OSHA regulations that address the issue of substance abuse, the General Duty clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act requires us to provide employees with a workplace “free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.”
• Substance abuse on the job is clearly a recognized workplace hazard, and therefore, we have a duty to protect our employees from this sometimes deadly hazard.

Think about accidents that have occurred on the job or at other companies that you’ve heard about on the evening news or read about in the newspaper. Have any of those been caused by substance abuse?

Our Policy

Now let’s talk about our substance abuse policy.

• Prohibits the possession, use, or sale of drugs on company property;
• Prohibits the possession or use of alcohol on company property (exceptions may apply for social events that take place on the property with prior management approval);
• Forbids working under the influence of drugs or alcohol;
• Provides assistance to employees who want help for an abuse problem; and
• Imposes discipline on those who refuse help and continue to abuse drugs or alcohol on the job.

Are you familiar with the company’s substance abuse policy? You should be.

Substance Abuse Basics

• Now it’s time to ask yourself if you understand the information that has been presented so far. Do you understand what we’ve discussed about the scope and cost of workplace substance abuse? Do you understand the requirements of the laws and of our substance abuse policy?

It’s important to understand this information so that you can help keep our workplace drug- and alcohol-free.

Alcohol

Let’s begin by talking about alcohol. Although the law does not require us to include legal drugs like alcohol in our policy, we still prohibit its use in the workplace. This is because of the harmful effects of working under the influence of alcohol.

• Alcohol is a sedative that helps people relax. Although a little bit of alcohol in the right setting might not be a problem, alcohol use on the job is a problem. Alcohol makes users physically and mentally slow and clumsy.
• It can also be highly addictive. Although not all people who drink become alcoholics, a significant number do. And alcoholism can affect anyone—young or mature, male or female, plant or office worker.
• Alcohol has a serious negative affect on job performance. It can cause:

– Poor attendance;

– Decreased productivity;

– Sloppy, careless, and incomplete work; and

– Reckless, aggressive, and unsafe behavior.

• Alcohol is also a proven killer when combined with hazardous jobs or driving. If alcohol doesn’t get an abuser hurt or killed on the job, it can kill them on the road while they’re driving to or from work.

Marijuana

Marijuana is a very common drug, readily available in most places, and widely used by all kinds of people of all ages.

• Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug in the workplace. Three out of 10 workers who test positive for drugs test positive for marijuana.
• People use marijuana to relax and, in some states, as a legal pain reliever for certain medical conditions, such as cancer. There is much debate about whether marijuana is harmful and whether it should be legalized. But when it comes to the workplace, there is no question that marijuana use is a serious problem.
• Marijuana users become so relaxed that their reflexes and judgment become impaired. In addition, marijuana reduces coordination, affects concentration, and makes users forgetful. Marijuana use also affects perception of time and space. These effects can lower productivity, cause people to make mistakes, lead to poor decision making, and make it unsafe to operate machinery and other hazardous equipment or to drive a vehicle.
• The effects of marijuana can last for hours. So an employee who smokes on the way to work or during a lunch break could be impaired for at least a portion of the workday.

Cocaine

• People use cocaine to get an energy boost. It can be inhaled or smoked. Crack is a common form of cocaine. Cocaine causes a brief intense high.
• Cocaine can be highly addictive.
• Cocaine use seriously impairs job performance. It causes:

– Poor judgment and decision-making ability;

– Carelessness and inability to concentrate;

– Drastic mood swings, sleeplessness, and paranoia; and

– Feelings of superiority, leading a person to believe he or she can’t make a mistake or be hurt.

• Cocaine use on the job greatly increases the chance that an employee will cause an accident. And it also increases the potential for theft and other crimes. Users may steal from coworkers to support their habit, or they may become aggressive and violent.
• Cocaine is a very dangerous drug that eventually destroys the life of the addict, both physically and emotionally. Prolonged use can cause fatal heart attacks or strokes. It can also destroy relationships and cause a person to lose all his or her possessions.

Amphetamines

Amphetamines, sometimes known as speed or uppers, may be legal prescriptions or illegal street drugs that could contain dangerous ingredients. Methamphetamine, an illegal drug, is a particular workplace substance abuse problem.

• People frequently use amphetamines to give them energy and help them stay awake. They also use them as diet pills to help lose weight.
• Amphetamines stimulate the nervous system and are highly addictive.
• When used on the job, these drugs can cause workers to rush or push beyond normal, safe capacity. They make people careless and likely to make mistakes. In addition, amphetamine users often become anxious and nervous, and may become moody or even paranoid.
• Amphetamines also cause serious physical damage to the body. They can lead to significant loss of brain cells—up to one percent a year, which is equivalent to brain cell loss in Alzheimer’s patients.

Think about the effects on job performance of alcohol and of the drugs we’ve discussed so far. Can you see what a serious problem working under the influence of any of these substances could cause?

Heroin

• Heroin is an illegal street drug that is, unfortunately, readily available in many U.S. cities and suburbs. People use heroin to get a quick rush followed by a feeling of total relaxation. Heroin is very addictive whether injected or inhaled. Experts warn that addiction can happen after the first use even if it’s a small amount.
• Heroin use leads to serious health conditions, including exposure to HIV and hepatitis from shared needles, overdose, coma, and death. Heroin use also affects a person’s emotional health and usually interferes with interpersonal relationships.
• Heroin, like alcohol and other drugs, seriously impairs job performance. Heroin use causes:

– Fluctuating alertness and lack of concentration;

– Lower productivity and more mistakes; and

– Increased risk of accidents.

• Heroin users frequently turn to crime to support their habit. This means the potential for theft of the company’s and coworkers’ property. Heroin addiction also increases the potential for violent incidents such as assaults. Desperate addicts sometimes take desperate measures to get cash for their next fix, including the use of weapons, if necessary.

Hallucinogens

• Hallucinogens such as Ecstasy, LSD, and other designer and club drugs are primarily used by young people in their teens and twenties. They are frequently used in clubs, at concerts, and at parties. Users experience hallucinations.
• These visions distort the user’s view of reality. Hallucinations can cause bizarre and sometimes violent behavior. They can also cause nightmares, fears, paranoia, and flashbacks of hallucinations after the drug wears off.
• A worker impaired by hallucinogens might suffer confusion, loss of concentration, and short-term memory loss—all of which can lead to serious performance problems. The fact that a user’s view of reality is distorted can also affect perception of job hazards, leading to accidents.
• Users may experience panic or depression when the drug wears off. Hallucinogens can also cause more serious emotional disturbances, sometimes leading to mental breakdowns. And these drugs can irreversibly impair mental and physical abilities.

Prescription Drugs

We don’t normally think of medications prescribed by a doctor as dangerous drugs. But they can be if abused.

• Prescription-strength painkillers, sleeping pills, and muscle relaxants, for example, are widely prescribed and can be very addictive and dangerous to your health.
• Millions of Americans use prescription painkillers legally each year. But studies indicate that well over half use these medications for nonmedical reasons—for example, because they want to relax, dull their anxiety or emotional pain, or just get high.
• Painkillers and sedatives can cause drowsiness, fatigue, and dizziness. They affect the user’s physical and mental functions. These effects impair job performance, leading to mistakes, lower productivity, and accidents. Use of this type of medication is especially dangerous when operating machinery or motor vehicles.
• An added risk of painkiller addiction is the frequency with which users move on to more dangerous drugs, such as heroin, when they can no longer get refills on prescriptions.

If you take a prescription of over-the-counter medication that may interfere with the safe and effective performance of your job, do you inform your supervisor? You should.

Substance Abuse Specifics

• Now it’s time to ask yourself if you understand the information about the effects of alcohol and drugs that has been presented in the previous slides.

It’s important to understand this information so that you can recognize the serious impact these substances can have on a person’s job performance, health, and well-being.

How Can You Recognize An Abuse Problem?

You can recognize a drug or alcohol problem in yourself or others by being aware of the signs of substance abuse.

• Early on, a substance abuser might:

– Overreact to criticism;

– Complain of illness or personal and financial problems;

– Become careless, make more mistakes, and be involved in near misses or accidents; or

– Seem tired, moody, or hyper.

• As the problem becomes more serious, the abuser might:

– Become unreliable and uncooperative as work performance deteriorates and the person is frequently absent or late;

– Avoid coworkers or become aggressive; or

– Lose weight and/or take less care with physical appearance.

• Once a person is addicted, he or she may:

– Become physically deteriorated;

– Stay out of work for long periods; and

– Use drugs or alcohol at work and steal to support a habit.

How Can You Get Help?

It’s never too late or too soon to treat a substance abuse problem. Ignoring the problem will only make it worse. Fortunately, there are a lot of places to turn to for help—whether the abuse problem is yours, a coworker’s, or a family member’s.

• First of all, you can talk to your supervisor or human resources in confidence to find out about programs the company provides to help employees with personal problems. The company can also provide you with referrals to healthcare professionals in your community who specialize in treating substance abuse or provide you with a list of suitable treatment programs in the area.
• You might also wish to speak to your doctor or minister about a problem. These people can provide counseling and help you or someone you know get the necessary treatment.

Do you know the procedures for getting help through company assistance programs for a personal problem that is affecting job performance?

How Can You Get Help? (cont.)

If you prefer, you can find your own referrals on the Internet or in the phone book.

• In the white pages of the phone book, look under “A” for “alcohol” to find numerous listings. Narcotics Anonymous is also listed. In the Yellow Pages™ look under “Human Services,” “Health Organizations,” “Social Service Organizations,” and “Mental Health Organizations.”
• You can also visit these websites for information or assistance:

– Alcoholics Anonymous—www.aa.org;

– Al-Anon/Alateen—www.al-anon.alateen.org;

– Cocaine Anonymous—www.ca.org;

– Narcotics Anonymous—www.na.org;

– Club Drugs—www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/club-drugs; and

– National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Hope Line— www.ncadd.org.

What If a Coworker Has a Problem?

What should you do if you recognize that a coworker has a substance abuse problem? It’s not easy to know the right thing to do. Here are some suggestions of steps you might try:

• First of all, take the person aside and privately express your concern. Don’t criticize, patronize, or sermonize. Just be a friend and tell the person you’re worried about them.
• Encourage the person to get help. Suggest he or she tries some of the resources we’ve just mentioned. Remind your coworker that he or she is not alone. A lot of people care and are affected by the abuse problem—people at work, family, and friends.
• If a coworker does not respond to your effort and the problem persists, or if the person’s job performance is negatively affecting safety, productivity, quality, or morale, you have a duty to act. Talk to your supervisor in confidence and explain your concerns. Don’t wait until the person causes an accident or the tension level around this person poisons the work environment.

Think about what you’d do if you realize a coworker’s had a problem.

Key Points To Remember

Here are the main points to remember from this session on workplace substance abuse:

• Substance abuse threatens the productivity, safety, and security of our company and employees.
• Working under the influence of alcohol or drugs seriously impairs a person’s ability to perform the job well and safely.
• Finally, never ignore a substance abuse problem—take prompt action to solve it.

This concludes the workplace substance abuse training session.