Substance use disorders affect businesses in surprising ways. Although there are obvious signs that an employee
is struggling with a substance use disorder, there are other factors affecting their workplace performance that
may be less obvious. Unfortunately, a survey from the National Safety Council found that employers
underestimate how prescription drug abuse affects their businesses.
Employers may not realize some of the facts illuminated in the study, such as:
• Employees with substance use disorders miss nearly 50 percent more days than their peers and up to six
weeks of work annually.
• Healthcare costs for employees who misuse or abuse prescription drugs are three times the costs for an
average employee.
• Getting an employee into treatment can save an employer up to $2,607 per worker annually.
The survey serves as a reminder that although some employees need support, they may not ask for it.
“Businesses that do not address the prescription drug crisis are like ostriches sticking their head in the sand,”
said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “The problem exists and doing
nothing will harm your employees and your business.”
The National Safety Council alongside NORC at the University of Chicago and Shatterproof created a tool to
show how the substance use disorder crisis can affect your workplace. The Substance Use Cost Calculator is a
quick and easy way to track the potential cost of substance use disorders. Employers input basic statistics about
their workforce, such as industry, location, and number of employees. The tool then calculates the estimated
prevalence of substance use disorders among employees and dependents.
Once you have all that information on hand, you can figure out a way to prioritize helping those who are
struggling with a substance use disorder. If you are worried about addressing such a difficult problem,
remember that leaders ask how they can help others and utilize subject-matter resources.
Synthetic Marijuana, also known as "K-2" or "Spice" is a mixture of common herbs sprayed with synthetic chemicals that mirror the high of Marijuana. The synthetic product is sold as incense in head shops, tobacco stores and convenient stores. So far, twelve states have banned the sale of Synthetic Marijuana - (Kansas, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oregon, Illinois, Michigan, and Kentucky). The American Association of Poison Control Centers reported that within the past year there have been over 500 cases of negative reactions to the still legal yet dangerous drug. On the national level the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently designated certain chemicals that are present within Synthetic Marijuana to the same category that heroin and LSD are part of and further emphasizes the need to be able to test blood and urine for Synthetic Marijuana use. On the local level- The Herald Online reported that Fort Mill,...