Opioid use has reached epidemic proportions. States are decriminalizing marijuana use. How much are employers spending because of alcohol misuse, illicit drug use, misuse of medications and substance use disorders? “Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health,” estimates that drug and alcohol misuse costs the United States more than $400 billion each year in lost workplace productivity (in part, due to premature mortality), health care expenses, law enforcement, other criminal justice costs, and losses from motor vehicle crashes. Employees with drug or alcohol problems are more likely to miss work, have diminished productivity when they are at work, be involved in accidents and disrupt other workers. What’s an employer to do?
Drug-Free Workplace Policies
