Substance abuse is a serious problem in the workplace. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that approximately 75 percent of all illegal drug users are employed either full or part time. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that one in every 13 people in this country has an alcohol problem which makes having safety manuals in place extremely important.

Employees don’t leave their substance abuse problems at the door when they come to work. Workers who use alcohol and other drugs have the potential to affect everyone in the workplace. In fact, studies show that substance abusers:

• Are far less productive
• Miss more workdays
• Are more likely to injure themselves or someone else
• File more Workers’ Compensation claims

The economic and human costs attributed to drug and alcohol use are astounding. In fact, the cost to U.S. workplaces from drug use has nearly doubled in the past 20 years, growing from roughly $80 billion to $150 billion in lost productivity a year. These losses in productivity are associated with the cost employers must pay out in claims, lost days on the job and reduction in productivity.

Addressing these problems with a Drug Free Workplace Program (DFWP) has proven to improve performance for employees and employers.