Workplace Losses Attributed to Drug Abuse

The importance of minimizing drug abuse in the workplace is difficult to understate. Analysts estimate that drug abuse of illegal drugs (not including alcohol) is common in between 10 to 23 percent of all employees. These employees are subject to more accidents as a result of their abuse; these accidents, in turn, can result in injury or death to the abuser, and substantial material loss to the employer in question. In addition to these losses which are attributable directly to drug abuse, these employees also take an additional toll in the form of increased absences, higher insurance costs (due to increased use of the health care system), lower productivity and employee theft. The total cost to the nation's economy is estimated to be in the billions (Ligos 80).

There are two common strategies that businesses and other employers can use to counteract drug abuse. The first strategy involves working with current employees to eliminate the addiction. In this case, a once productive employee is given the support and assistance needed in order to overcome the addiction and return to the organization as a productive team member. The second strategy is to avoid hiring those individuals who already have established addictions. This generally involves drug testing and is a controversial strategy.

In uncovering an employee's abuse problem, co-workers and immediate supervisors are most likely to be the first to be aware of the problem. Absenteeism is a key indicator that th

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abuse has been dealt with through interdiction: abusers are arrested when a law is violated, such as the possession of illegal substances, or operating a motor vehicle while legally intoxicated. For companies who seek to rehabilitate their employees, however, the government can be seen as providing access to other resources designed to stop drug abuse before it becomes a legal problem. Employers who are developing strategies for coping with workplace drug abuse typically begin by evaluating their own expertise in the area. This expertise can include the company's medical, industrial health, safety, human resources and related departments, as well as available resources, such as office space and clerical staff to handle an internal resource. An employee assistance program (EAP), usually found in larger organizations, can help employers determine whether they have the resources to establish an ongoing internal program, or whether they need to consider outside resources. Another consideration is the employer's group health insurance program, which may provide coverage of drug abuse treatment or provide an option for such programs at reasonable costs to the employee (Ligos 82). Aside from treating addicts who are already employ

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