Drug Watch International

Alcohol and other drug abuse in your workplace
Impact on workers’ compensation insurance costs and company profits

• ‚  75.2% of illicit drug users are employed1.

• ‚  19.1 million Americans are current illicit drug users.2

• ‚  77.6% of adults classified as substance-dependent/abusers are employed.3

• ‚  35% of employees have seen/heard of drug use on the job.4

• ‚  11% of employees have been offered drugs to use at work.5

• ‚  Amphetamine-positive test results have increased 85% between 2001-2005.6

• ‚  48% of all drug-related hospital emergency room episodes involved people 35-44 years of

  age.7

• ‚  15% (19.2 million) of employees report drinking/impairment at work, drinking just before

  work, or being hung over at work during a twelve-month period.8

• ‚  Random testing will identify daily and monthly drug users 93% of the time.9

• ‚  When compared to employees without a diagnosed substance abuse problem, alcohol abusers

  are 2 times as likely, drug abusers are 3 times as likely, & alcohol-and-drug abusers are 4 times as likely to be hospitalized for an injury.10

  Alcohol and other drug use by employees will cost your business time, productivity, higher workers compensation and medical premiums and decrease your profits.

  12004 National Survey on Drug Use & Health, U. S. Dept. Of Health & Human Services, SAMHSA 2Ibid.
  3Ibid.
  4Institute for a Drug-Free Workplace: Worker Attitudes on Drug Abuse

  5Ibid.

  6Quest Diagnostics, Inc., Drug Test Index 2005

  7Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) Survey, 2002

  8Frone, M.R., “Prevalence and distribution of alcohol use and impairment in the workplace: A U.S. national survey,” Journal of Studied on Alcohol, Vol. 67, No. 1, p. 147. January 2006

  9Journal of Addictive Diseases. “Random Drug Tests at Work: The Probability of Identifying Frequent and Infrequent Users of Illicit Drugs”. Dupont, Robert, M.D. et al., Vol. 14, No. 3, 1995.

  10Miller, Ted R., Ph.D. Paper: “Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.” January 2001

Information provided as a benefit of the Arizona H.I.D.T.A., Demand-Reduction Program Drug-Free Workplaces, Schools & Communities