Study Indicates that the Workplace Can Influence Drinking Habits

From our archives: Previous articles that have some relevance today

Original date: 08/2007

A new study by the University of Texas suggests that companies that actively discourage drinking are less likely to have problematic drinkers as employees.  The study assessed survey results of 5000 employees of Fortune 500 companies.  Employees of businesses that most widely discouraged drinking were:

• 45 percent less likely to drink heavily
• 54 percent less likely to drink frequently
• 69 percent less likely to drink on the job

This research is evidence that the social culture of a company can affect behaviors both in and out of the workplace. For more information on how you can develop a drug-free workplace program for your employees contact Working Partners.

Tags: alcohol abuse, alcohol abuse program, alcohol abuse statistics

Smokeless Country by 2020?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts all states will have smoking bans in restaurants, bars and workplaces by 2020.  Currently, 25 states have such comprehensive indoor smoking bans.

The CDC estimates that almost half of U.S. residents are covered by either state or local laws that prohibit smoking. However, several state have laws in place that are less restrictive, such as mandatory smoking areas or separate ventilation, which the CDC does not consider effective in eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke.

According to the Associated Press, only seven states have no statewide restrictions on indoor smoking: Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Educating employees on the harmful effects of smoking and the problems drug abuse can cause is very important. Working Partners offers training and education for supervisors and employees.

Tags: drug abuse prevention, smoking bans, workplace drug abuse

Automobile Deaths Decline

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that alcohol-related deaths on our nation’s highways represent 31 percent of all driving deaths.  This is a decrease of almost five percent from 2009 to 2010. “While we have more work to do to continue to protect American motorists, these numbers show we’re making historic progress when it comes to improving safety on our nation’s roadways,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Overall, automobile accidents are at the lowest number since 1949, in spite of the fact that travel increased 1.6 percent in 2010.

Employers should continue to be aware of the statistics and utilize alcohol testing for employees to avoid problems in the workplace. Contact Working Partners to learn the elements of a drug-free workplace program.

Tags: alcohol abuse, alcohol abuse program, alcohol safety, alcohol testing

Regulating Synthetic Drugs Poses Challenges

The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports the use of synthetic drugs is escalating at an alarming rate. This includes bath salts and synthetic marijuana, “K2” and “Spice.”  The drugs are popular in part because most drug tests do not detect them, they are available on many websites and can often be purchased legally.

Currently, 43 states have passed or proposed laws banning specific chemicals in synthetic drugs. It has been difficult to prosecute rogue chemists because they tweak cannabinoids and other mind-altering chemicals to sidestep each ban and create new chemicals that fall outside the bounds of any proposed blanket ban. Some states such as Pennsylvania and Idaho are working feverishly to generate legislation that would close these loopholes by passing broad laws that outlaw substances that mimic illicit drugs, without identifying specific chemicals. Unfortunately, this may depend on the ability to ban entire chemical families in an attempt to ban new varieties before they’re invented.

The task would still be very difficult. Prosecutors would have to show the substances in question are chemically similar to illicit drugs as well as demonstrate the synthetic drugs have the same effect on the body. They also must prove the synthetic drugs are meant to be taken in the same way as illegal drugs, even though the products often have labels stating that they are not for human consumption.

At the federal level, the Synthetic Drug Control Act, approved by the House on December 8, 2011 bans more than 30 synthetic drugs, including bath salts and Spice. The measure would make it illegal to manufacture or dispense the drugs.  However, critics say that there are still problems, for example, attaching felony penalties to fake marijuana when the possession of real marijuana is a simple misdemeanor in many states is the wrong approach.

The bill would also give the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) more authority to put temporary bans on potentially hazardous drugs as they are being  investigated.

On a related note, the DEA issued a proposal to extend the temporary Schedule I Statius of five synthetic cannabindoids until August 29, 2012

Practicing good synthetic drug awareness is essential to find out which drugs employees may be using. Contact Working Partners to learn more about employee education and supervisor training classes to build drug awareness in your company.

Tags: drug awareness, drug free workplace, drug training programs, synthetic drugs, synthetic marijuana

More Americans Drinking

Alcohol consumption is at a 25-year high. A 2010 Gallup Poll found that 67 percent of the U.S. adult population drinks alcohol.

However, there are some interesting regional nuances to Americans’ drinking habits. High consumption rates are found in New England, Upper Plains and far West states, and Washington, D.C. On the other end of the spectrum is the Mid-Atlantic region and the Deep South. The nation’s heaviest drinking is found in New Hampshire where residents consume more than twice the national average.

Additionally, new estimates show that binge drinking is a bigger problem than previously thought. More than 38 million U.S. adults binge drink about four times a month, and the largest number of drinks per binge is, on average, eight. This behavior greatly increases the chances of getting hurt or hurting others due to car crashes, violence and suicide. Drinking too much, including binge drinking, causes 80,000 deaths in the U.S. each year and, in 2006 cost the economy $223.5 billion.

Binge drinking can cause problems in the workplace. Learn how to sustain an alcohol free workplace with Working Partners.

Tags: alcohol abuse, alcohol abuse statistics, alcohol free workplace, binge drin

Rx Drug Abuse Explodes

A report released by SAMHSA reveals that treatment admissions for prescription drug abuse increased an astonishing 430 percent from 1999 to 2009. The states hit hardest include Kentucky, Maine, Delaware, Vermont, West Virginia, Maryland, Arkansas, and Rhode Island. In a related note, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that three Americans die from a prescription drug overdose every hour.

Those with the highest rate of misuse and death include non-Hispanic whites, males between the ages of 20 and 64, and individuals residing in poor, rural communities.

Educating your employees about prescription drug abuse can help reduce the impact on your business. Working Partners hosts drug-free safety webinars for business looking to implement a drug-free workplace program.

Tags: drug free workplace, drug-free safety program, prescription drug abuse

Brain Structure May Contribute to Addiction

Understanding that addiction is not always a proactive choice, but rather an impulse control issue is important for a business owner to grasp. A comprehensive alcohol and drug-free workplace program can provide the framework for objective monitoring mechanisms that warn employers when addiction may have  role in employees personal lives.

A recent study examined the cause-and-effect relationship between addiction and impulse control. The experiment compared brain structure and function between addicts, their non-addicted siblings, and a control group consisting of healthy, drug-free, non-related individuals. The addict group had been using for an average of 16 years; their siblings had very little exposure to illicit drugs.

The study tested impulse control via a “stop-signal” task. Results showed that the non-addict sibling group and the addict group both performed worse than the control group. Brain scans further showed that the sibling groups had similar brain abnormalities in the areas believed to control impulse.

The data clearly suggests that underdeveloped impulse control is not a result of drug abuse, but rather is congenital. However, if both siblings are born with similar abnormalities, the question remains: why is one sibling more susceptible to addiction than the other? Study author Karen Ersche of the University of Cambridge believes non-addict siblings may have inherited a “protective resilience,” such as an easy-going personality, that makes them less prone to addiction.

Tags: addiction, drug free program, drug-free safety program, substance abuse

Drug Testing Advancements

The drug testing community is poised to roll out two significant technologies in the upcoming months. The first new device detects drugs and other substances through sweat on the donor’s fingertips. It provides instant results and is virtually impossible to manipulate.

The other tool is squarely aimed at catching cheats, particularly those who plan to substitute someone else’s clean urine for their own.  The product, called Marker Test, is a digestible chemical given to the donor approximately 30 minutes before the sample is collected. The product leaves a “chemical marker” in the donor’s urine which is identified in the testing process.

In other advancements, The Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA) has launched an international standards program for drug- and alcohol-free workplace programs. No international standards or accreditation programs now exist for drug testing policies or programs, according to DATIA, and variations in international laws have made standardization difficult. But with substance abuse now recognized as a significant cost center to businesses, more and more organizations require drug testing of employees.

“This has been a serious problem for organizations operating outside the United States who want to ensure their workplace is drug free by testing applicants and employees,” said Patricio Labatut and Brian Drew, co-chairmen of the International Committee. “Without an international standard, some companies have been testing incorrectly and missing substance abusers, costing their companies in the end.”

Tags: drug abuse, drug abuse prevention, drug awareness, drug testing, employee drug testing policy

Focus on Drugged Driving

Senators Charles Schumer of New York and Mark Pryor of Arkansas are seeking federal funding that would aid police officers in better identifying drugged drivers. Schumer notes that drugged drivers don’t always exhibit the same overt signs, such as slurred speech, that drunk drivers exhibit. He highlights a 2007 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report revealing that over 16 percent of weekend and evening drivers tested positive for illegal prescription or over-the-counter drugs. He stresses that law enforcement needs a “breathalyzer-like” device that can help officers collect evidence at the time of a traffic stop.

Drugged Driving is a problem for many industries, but none more so than the construction industry. Operating heavy equipment and driving large trucks while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, puts the lives and livelihood of your employees in danger. Implementing a drug-free workplace program for (DFWP) construction will create internal checks to prevent an employee from getting behind the wheel while drugged.

Tags: drug abuse, drug abuse prevention, drug awareness, drug free program, drug-free workplace, drug-free workplace program

Drug Databases Require Participation

Currently 48 states have some sort of drug database in which practitioners and pharmacists can cross-reference painkiller prescriptions. Yet there are still huge loopholes in these systems.  In some states, clinicians aren’t required to actually use the database, undermining its effectiveness. For example, New York has 80,000 health care practitioners who are licensed to prescribe pain medications. However, only 47,000 have signed up for the state’s database, and from that group just over 2,000 have actually used it.

Three states, New York, Tennessee and Kentucky, are proposing legislation that would raise the requirements for clinicians. New York’s and Tennessee’s versions would require health care professionals to access the database every time they prescribe. Kentucky’s bill would require emergency rooms to get a report from the state database before administering any painkillers. The Bluegrass State’s plan also includes stiffer penalties for physicians who overprescribe.

This initiative should reduce the supply of illegal prescription drugs by cutting down on ‘doctor shopping’ by patients who are playing the system. Reducing the supply of prescription drugs will provide support to business trying to get a drug-free workplace program off the ground.

Tags: drug abuse prevention, drug free workplace, prescription drug abuse