Drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace is not an insignificant problem.
Studies show that more than 70 percent of men and women suffering from a substance use disorder are employed full-time or part-time, a number that is virtually identical to the percentage of people without substance abuse issues who have jobs. Overall there are about 15 million American adults who remain employed despite their chemical dependency, and the economic impact of their drug and alcohol use on their work performance is enormous.
According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCAAD), substance abuse costs the American economy more than $80 billion each year in lost productivity. Drug and alcohol abuse by employees leads to increased absenteeism and tardiness, more sick days, more workplace accidents, distracting interpersonal conflicts, a higher volume of employee turnover and associated training costs, and decreases in productivity from co-workers asked to compensate for the performance failures of addicts.
Clearly, the economic interests of individual businesses are well served when workers with substance use disorders enter drug and alcohol treatment programs. But in any given year, only 10 percent of people suffering from chemical dependency will be treated by addiction specialists working for licensed treatment facilities.
Too many working men and women remain unaware of the legal protections that give them the right to seek addiction treatment without fear of job loss, and ultimately employers and employees both suffer the consequences of this lack of knowledge.
