The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) says that about one in 12 U.S. full-time workers are current users of illicit drugs, and even more -- 8.8 percent, or an estimated 10.1 million workers -- are heavy drinkers, the Cox News Service reported July 16.
The report defined heavy drinking as consuming five or more drinks on five or more occasions within the past month; any illicit drug use during the past month was considered evidence of drug abuse.
"What this says is that are a lot of us in the work force who are already in trouble," said Bob Stevenson, SAMHSA's head of workplace programs. "I'll go ahead and say it: More employers are testing for drug and alcohol abuse, and if you are a small-business owner and you don't have a drug-free-workplace program, you may become a magnet for a lot of illicit drug users looking for work."
The SAMHSA report said that workers who were subjected to drug testing on the job were less likely to drink heavily or use drugs.
Wide variations in heavy drinking and drug use were reported from profession to profession. For example, the study found that 17.4 percent of food-service workers used illicit drugs, as did 15.1 percent of construction workers, while just 3.4 percent of police officers and firemen did. Construction workers also had the highest rate of problem drinking, 17.8 percent, compared to community workers and social-service providers, who were least likely (2.8 percent) to drink heavily. |
