Addressing Addictive Behaviors in the Workplace

Addictive behaviors pose increasingly serious problems in the workplace. Approximately 70% of the estimated 14.8 million Americans who use illegal drugs are employed. Recent changes in marijuana laws are a cause for concern. Substance abuse in the workplace costs employers an estimated $81 billion a year in workers' compensation, medical costs, absenteeism, lost productivity, and employee turnover. Managers needs to implement drug-free workplace policies and provide a healthy work environment to reduce stress-related drug abuse. EAPs must provide prevention activities that target at-risk employees, and identify users who need treatment. Health insurance should cover addiction treatment. Addiction is a function of not only the individual's behaviors and genetic disposition, but also his or her environmental influences. The workplace is an ideal setting for an addiction prevention program, as employees spend much of their waking lives there. Through strong leadership and provision of employee incentives, companies can make a healthy drug-free workplace a reality.