A new study released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) finds that more heavy alcohol users are employed full-time than illicit drug users. While three million full-time employees are dependent on or abuse illicit drugs, more than 10 million full-time employees are dependent on or abuse alcohol.  

The report, Worker Substance Use and Workplace Policies and Programs, analyzes substance use among workers, aged 18 to 64, by demographical, geographical, and occupational characteristics. The study also provides new information about workplace drug testing with particular emphasis on policies, practices, and attitudes.

Data from the SAMHSA report show that most substance users, and most people with substance use disorders, are employed full-time. More than 114 million people are employed full-time in the U.S. These workers represent more than two-thirds of the U.S. population, aged 18 to 64. Over 16 million current illicit drug users are employed full-time and approximately 15 million heavy alcohol users are full-time employees.

The study provides detailed information about substance use and workplace productivity, noting that current substance users missed one or more days of work in the past month compared with those that did not use illicit drugs or consume heavy amounts of alcohol. The report also finds that substance users tend to have higher job turnover rates and are more likely to work for employers that do not engage in workplace drug testing.

Previous Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems analyses have shown that drug testing is not the only answer when it comes to ensuring a healthy and productive workplace. In fact, typical drug testing protocols do not account for the heavy use and abuse of alcohol among employees. “While workplace drug testing is a valuable and necessary practice for many industries it leaves many employers with a false sense of security that they are solving substance use problems on the job. Too many drug testing programs fail to incorporate proper alcohol screening and interventions to help the majority of substance abusers in the workplace—those with alcohol problems,” said Eric Goplerud, Director of Ensuring Solutions.

The SAMHSA study also reveals that nearly three percent of full-time employees were dependent on or abused illicit drugs in the past year but more than nine percent were dependent on or abused alcohol. Workplace testing patterns do not reflect substance use patterns. Testing for illicit drug use was reported more often than testing for alcohol use. An estimated 54 million employees reported that their employers ever conducted testing for illicit drugs compared to the approximate 39 million reporting alcohol testing.

Through analysis of workplace information policies and programs, study authors found that less than half of full-time employees report having access to education information about drug and alcohol use in the workplace. The authors note the important role employee assistance programs (EAP) play in offering structured education to employees about substance abuse and providing quality access to health care systems. Almost 60 percent of full-time employees have access to an EAP. Notably, younger workers (those between 18 and 25) were less likely to report having access to EAP but more likely to develop substance use disorders.

Ensuring Solutions works to educate business leaders and employees about alcohol problems and its effects on the workplace. Alcohol screening and brief intervention, access to EAP, comprehensive benefits packages, and sound drug-free workplace policies are effective options for employers to utilize for a safe, healthy, and productive work setting. Additional aids for employers include the following resources:

• Working Partners for an Alcohol- and Drug-Free Workplace—Working Partners is a sponsor of the upcoming Drug-Free Work Week (October 14-20), and offers an online Drug-Free Workplace Advisor that employers can use to individually tailor a drug-free workplace policy to their setting.
  

• The Workplace Helpline (1-800-Workplace)—The Workplace Helpline is a free telephone consulting service offering technical assistance and guidance for designing drug-free policies that address alcohol and drug problems at work. Workplace Specialists are available to provide consultation on policy development, supervisor training, employee education, EAP, and drug testing.
  

• Job Accommodation Network (JAN)— is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor. The JAN Presentation Library offers information for employers to help them understand issues related to the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Substance Abuse in the Workplace.