11/27/2023
Brown Bagger
Drugs in the Workplace …
… What Some Employers are Doing
By Cornelius Frolik, Dayton Daily News
According to survey data and experts,
substance abuse problems among Ohio
workers can result in:
• Workplace injuries;
• Higher medical costs for their employers;
• More frequent absenteeism; and
• Reduced productivity.
Employers pay on average $7,000 per
employee annually to deal with unaddressed
substance abuse problems among workers, according to some estimates.
In the hopes of avoiding these and other
troubles, many employers in Ohio screen job
candidates for drugs and alcohol, and some
randomly or routinely test their employees for
intoxicating substances.
Employers that drug test job applicants and
current workers are less likely to have drug users
on their payrolls, experts said. Companies across
the region that conduct drug tests have seen a decline in results that come back positive for drugs.
But some experts warn that drug testing is not
always effective to identify substance abuse, and
simply taking punitive action against people who
test positive can be counterproductive.
“Employers can say to applicants, ‘I am
going to give you a chance to come and work
for me, but I am also going to be doing random
drug testing, and if you come back with dirty
urine, then I’ll either refer you or terminate
you,’” said Helen Jones-Kelley, executive director of the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental
Health Services Board of Montgomery County.
Many otherwise qualified and competent
workers struggle with drug abuse and addiction, and they could be model employees if they
receive treatment.
It’s All about Safety
In 2011, about 9.8 million full-time U.S.
workers — 18 and older — either abused or
were addicted to drugs or alcohol in the previous 12 months, according to the National
Survey on Drug Use and Health, which is
conducted by the federal Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration.
About 8.4% of adult full-time workers,
and 9.8% of part-time workers (or 3.2 million employees) had a drug or alcohol problem
within the last year, the administration said. The
number and share of Americans with substance
abuse problems has declined for years.
About 70% of people who struggle with alcohol or drug abuse or addiction have jobs, the
survey said.
People with substance abuse problems often
are unreliable employees, and their use of intoxicants may be hazardous to their health and
the health of their co-workers.
“It’s a safety issue,” said Tony Seegers,
director of labor and human resources policy
with the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. “We
don’t want to have injured workers, and we
don’t want to see companies’ workers’ compensation rates go up.”
Workers who get high on drugs or drink
heavily often cannot think clearly, and they
may make poor decisions or serious mistakes,
according to the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration. Their work quality is
often inconsistent, and they may have trouble
concentrating or focusing. Their productivity may suffer, and they may miss work more
often than sober employees. Personal appearance and hygiene may deteriorate, and they
often have a lot of health problems.
