...they received treatment. Accident results showed that drug-test positive employees, compared with self-referred workers, had a significantly higher accident rate in all categories. Treatment data revealed that drug-test positive workers had significantly higher accident rates before and after treatment than self-referred employees. Posttreatment results showed that drug-test positive employees had a significant decrease in accidents after services, whereas the self-referred group showed no change.

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Drugs are considered to be any substance that alters or interferes with an individual's health, personal life, or work (Coshan, 1992). Employee drug and alcohol abuse is a problem for many, if not all, businesses. No one is immune to it; people of all ages, incomes, and professions consume drugs and alcohol, and contrary to popular belief, approximately 70%-75% of all substance abusers are employed (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1996). Much discussion has occurred about the nation's drug problem in organizations. Some research has reported that substance abuse in the workforce has a negative impact on society, suggesting that there is a link between substance abuse and dangerous, dysfunctional behaviors (e.g., workplace accidents and injuries; Bass et al., 1996; Hoffman & Larison, 1999). Other researchers found no such relationship (Buchanan, 1988; Macdonald, 1995). Despite the conflicting research, one thing is clear--substance abuse is a societal problem and a legitimate workplace issue.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND SAFETY

Substance abuse can create absenteeism, accidents, and security problems, thus damaging the stability of a company. Dawson (2003) suggested that 5.2 million American workers experience workplace injuries or illnesses each year. The large number of substance abusers in the workforce increases the likelihood that work-related injuries will occur.

Early research suggested a link between drug/alcohol abuse, workplace accidents, and fatalities. Employees with positive drug tests were 5 times more likely to have a vehicle accident than other workers (Crouch, Webb, Buller, & Rollins, 1989), and 59% of industrial vehicle fatalities showed that the victims had alcohol in their blood (Fell, 1982). Other studies reported that substance-abusing workers had 4 times as many work-related accidents as other employees, and 11%...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



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