This authoritative book examines what we know and don't know about workforce and workplace substance involvement, including popular myths about the prevalence, causes, and productivity outcomes of employee substance use.
Abuse of drugs and alcohol may cause serious difficulties at work including deterioration in job performance. Abuse is caused by a range of personal, family, social or work situations or a combination of such factors. This report presents a variety of multidisciplinary approaches to the prevention, assistance, treatment and rehabilitation of alcohol- and drug-related problems in the workplace. Although experience has shown the difficulty of eliminating substance abuse, the policies presented are likely to yield constructive results for workers and employers alike.
Presents findings on substance use among workers & on workplace drug policy & programs from the 2002, 2003, & 2004 Nat. Surveys on Drug Use & Health (NSDUHs). NSDUH is an annual survey of the civilian, non-institutionalized population of the U.S. aged 12 years or older. The survey provides data on substance use & related issues among the U.S. population. NSDUH collects info. on employment status, type of business, specific occupations & industries, & info. on drug-testing policies & programs from U.S. workers. This report analyzes the worker info. in conjunction with the substance use data collected in the survey to investigate substance use among full-time employed workers aged 18-64 during the period 2002-04. Over 100 tables.
Determine if your drinking is a problem, develop strategies for curbing your intake, and measure your progress with this practical, engaging guide to taking care of yourself. Every day, millions of people drink a beer or two while watching a game, shake a cocktail at a party with friends, or enjoy a glass of wine with a good meal. For more than 30 percent of these drinkers, alcohol has begun to have a negative impact on their everyday lives. Yet, only a small number are true alcoholics--people who have completely lost control over their drinking and who need alcohol to function. The great majority are what Dr. Doyle and Dr. Nowinski call "Almost Alcoholics," a growing number of people whose excessive drinking contributes to a variety of problems in their lives. In Almost Alcoholic, Dr. Doyle and Dr. Nowinski give the facts and guidance needed to address this often unrecognized and devastating condition. They provide the tools to: identify and assess your patterns of alcohol use; evaluate its impact on your relationships, work, and personal well-being; develop strategies and goals for changing the amount and frequency of alcohol use; measure the results of applying these strategies; and make informed decisions about your next steps.
1. Introduction -- 2. Alcohol and workplace culture -- 3. Prevalence and patterns of alcohol use in the workplace -- 4. Alcohol and workplace safety -- 5. Assessment of other data sources -- 6. Workplace interventions -- 7. Implications -- References.
Alcohol is a killerĂ¢â‚¬"1 of every 13 deaths in the United States is alcohol-related. In addition, 5 percent of the population consumes 50 percent of the alcohol. The authors take a close look at the problem in a "classy little study," as The Washington Post called this book. The Library Journal states, "...[T]his is one book that addresses solutions....And it's enjoyably readable....This is an excellent review for anyone in the alcoholism prevention business, and good background reading for the interested layperson." The Washington Post agrees: the book "...likely will wind up on the bookshelves of counselors, politicians, judges, medical professionals, and law enforcement officials throughout the country."
Substance abusers exert a significant cost burden for employers. Evidence is mounting that worker substance abuse may have its greatest impact on productivity losses including increased absenteeism and short-term disability, higher turnover, and suboptimal performance at work. Full-time workers that reported using illicit drugs or abusing prescribed drugs were more likely to report missing two or more workdays in the past month due to illness or injury and were more likely to have skipped one or more days of work in the past month. But what does one do to address this situation? The response is simple if a worker presents himself acutely intoxicated, but how does one handle off duty or chronic use of potentially impairing substances that may or may not affect job performance and safety? This work reviews the regulatory issues surrounding substance use in the workplace as well as drug and alcohol testing. The text examines the main substances of concern and discusses the literature related to disease based and patient based research considering workplace safety. The monograph ends by describing the evaluation of potentially impaired employees and how to gain objective evidence of their ability to function safely and also how to direct troubled employees toward helpful programs.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration funded the multisite Young Adults in the Workplace (YIW) initiative to study the effectiveness of diverse approaches to workplace-based prevention of substance abuse. Six teams adapted evidence-based programs to target young employees and then implemented the programs in retail, restaurant, health care, construction, skilled trade, and transportation industry workplaces. This book describes the programs, the adaptation and implementation processes, and the YIW cross-site evaluation.