With 1 in 14 Americans reporting a Substance Use Disorder (SUD), there is a serious impact to the workplace.  Like many diseases, persons with SUDs can be successfully treated under a doctor’s care and their condition managed with medication, twelve-step programs, counseling, or rehabilitation programs.

Stigma at the workplace can deeply affect the individual in recovery impeding their ability to seek help or sustain their progress.  Stigma is a negative judgement or belief about a person or group based upon a particular characteristic such as substance use that often triggers guilt and...

Drug Free America Foundation has released a new resource educating employers and all workplace stakeholders that supporting substance use recovery at work can be a benefit through increased productivity, improved morale, safer workplace, greater employee retention, and a more positive working environment.

The new one-pager provides a short introduction to the concept of a recovery ready workplace through the following points:

• * Describes the impact of Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) to society and the workplace
• * Explains recovery and the role of the workplace in that process
• *...

A final report was released by the U.S. Commission on Combating Opioid Trafficking that emphasized the trafficking of synthetic opioids into the U.S. threatens both the national security and economic wellbeing of the country. The report disclosed the staggering toll that the opioid crisis has on the public and identified a robust plan to fight the scourge. 1

Research data revealed the number of U.S. deaths from drug overdoses has reached over 1 million cumulatively since 1999.  This staggering figure is more than the combined number of service member deaths from all U.S. wars.   Furthermore...

The Stigma and Discrimination Research toolkit is a collection of evidence and resources related to stigma and discrimination research. Health-related stigma and discrimination research has produced theories, models, frameworks, measures, methods, and interventions that can be applied across conditions and populations to help reduce the impact of stigma and discrimination.

This toolkit may be helpful for researchers, government officials looking to incorporate research into policy, community agencies, and various other stakeholders across disciplines and sectors. This toolkit includes a...

Cansford Laboratories, UK  |  Alex Swann  | 09 December 2020

Employers have a duty to protect their employees from injury and that includes the being under the influence or using substance while on the job.  Cansford Labs developed a great guide for employers (UK) that explains drug testing and answers frequently asked questions.

Read the Guide

Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy  |  Alison M. Devlin & Daniel Wight  |  21 April 2020

ABSTRACT The San Patrignano drug recovery community, Italy, is regarded as one of the most successful in the world. However, if this model is to be transferred to other countries, it is necessary to clarify its underlying mechanisms and how far their success is context dependent. This qualitative study investigated these features of the San Patrignano model. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with six key stakeholders and 10 days’ observational field notes. Data were synthesised...

Journal of Social Work Practice in Addictions | Penelope Yates | 2014

This interesting paper was referenced in an earlier post on this forum regarding San Patrignano's program and approach to substance abuse treatment and recovery. 

One key component of the program provides residents with educational opportunities and job skills training through onsite businesses and collaborations with various industries all in a drug-free living and working  environment. 

Read the paper

Brought to you from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Listen First is a program for parents promoting social and emotional learning as a foundation for science-based substance use prevention.

Providing resources such as through Listen First is a means that employers can support those employees' primary role as parents making them more engaged and productive workers. 

Check out the parent resources!

Abbott - Drug Safe Workplace Website | Knowledge & Insights Blog | September, 2021

Cannabidiol, more commonly known as CBD, has spiked in popularity over the last few years. However, one consequence of a quick rise to fame is a great deal of misunderstanding, misinformation, and lingering questions about the substance.

What Is CBD and How is it Used?

CBD is a compound found in the cannabis plant, and it can be found in both hemp and marijuana. It has become extremely popular recently as a medical treatment for various ailments, most notably as an effective treatment for childhood...

Quest Diagnostics Employer Solutions Blog | Pablo Bolaños

In the song made famous by the late recording artist Tom Petty, the storyteller compares marijuana use to romance, as he longs for a “Last dance with Mary Jane, one more time to kill the pain.” These lyrics echo the romanticized sentiment that many people still have today. Marijuana remains the most-used illicit substance in the US. Popular opinion about its low risks help to spread misinformation, myths, and drive the narrative that marijuana is safe.

According to the latest findings from the United Nations Office on Drugs...

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has provided UK employers with guidance on managing drug and alcohol misuse in the workplace and supporting their employees including policy development, training, and resources.

CIPD research found that health and wellness of workers was impacted by social isolation and financial stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and that there was a need for employers to become more connected with the problem.

CIPD has conducted research and developed a number of resources to assist employers address substance use.  Visit the CIPD...

The opioid overdose epidemic continues to claim lives across the U.S. with a record 47,600 overdose deaths in 2017. (This number represents 67.8% of the 70,237 overdose deaths from all drugs) [CDC 2018a]. More Americans now die every year from drug overdoses than in motor vehicle crashes [CDC 2016]. The crisis is taking an especially devastating toll on certain parts of the U.S. workforce. High rates of opioid overdose deaths have occurred in industries with high injury rates and physically demanding working conditions such as construction, mining, or fishing Massachusetts Department of...

Prescription opioid medications intended for pain management and prescription benzodiazepines for conditions such as anxiety or insomnia, when used alone or together, often have side effects that can affect workers’ health and safety. In addition, some occupational factors, such as work-related motor vehicle crashes, falls, other injuries and job stress, have the potential to increase the chances that a worker is given a prescription for an opioid or benzodiazepine [Kowalski-McGraw et al. 2017].

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed resources for improving...

Abbott - WorkDrugSafe Website| Knowledge & Insights Blog | August, 2021

Understanding the signs of substance abuse is essential to your workplace safety. In 2020 40% of adults reported struggling with mental health or substance use. As a group, nearly one third of Millennials have a behavioral health condition, with nearly one million insured Millennials diagnosed with substance use disorder in 2018. With more than one-in-three employees in the U.S. workforce now being Millennials, the makeup of the American workplace, as well as the problems employers face, is swiftly changing.