Addiction hurts the American Workplace
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Category: Alcohol Addiction Gambling Addiction
Date: 20 Aug 2015
Created By : SameerOhri1According to recent news reports on a new United States government study, the epidemic of substance abuse has reached critical levels among our nation’s work force. Almost 1 in 10 full-time workers report having a serious drug or alcohol condition in the past year. This poses a serious risk for not only the individuals suffering from substance abuse, but the entire American economy. Among the serious issues addressed in this study involve the high levels at which many American workers drink. Heavy drinking, defined as having 5 or more drink in one setting at least 5 times over the last 30 days, was reported by nearly 9 percent of the workforce age 18-64. Roughly the percentage reported using drugs in the same time frame. The type of industry was also linked to level of drug and alcohol use. For example, heavy drinking was reported by 17.5 percent of miners, but only 4.4 percent of health care and social workers. Drug use was reported by 19 percent of hotel and restaurant workers (an increase of 2 percent over the last report) , but only 4 percent in public administration fields. Pamela Hyde, administrator of the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), recognizes the need for increased drug and alcohol treatment in local communities. "Every segment of the community needs to help tackle this problem, including employers. By developing and actively promoting workplace programs such as Employee Assistance Programs for helping employees deal with substance use problems, employers can significantly improve the health, well-being, and productivity of their employees.”
