Drug Stats

Drugs in the Workplace – Why Should an Employer be Concerned?
 
The Law:
  • The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
  • Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
  • The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Road Traffic Act 1988
  • Transport and Work Act 1992
Cost to Business:
  • Absenteeism
  • Lateness
  • Poor performance
  • Damage to equipment/products
  • Early retirement
  • Recruitment
  • Reputation (Corporate Responsibility)
  • Compensation

 

Statistics

  • According to the charity Alcohol Concern,10 million people in England currently exceed the recommended alcohol consumption limits, and around 200,000 people in the UK go to work with a hangover every day.
  • More than four and a half million working days in the UK could be lost to hangovers this January (Alcohol Concern)
  • More than one in 25 adults are dependent on alcohol, and the UK has one of the highest rates of  binge drinking in Europe.’  (Drinkaware)
  • Approximately 1 in 5 of people killed in road crashes have traces of illegal  substances in their blood. (RoSPA) We hear a lot about the penalties for drink driving, but what about drug driving? Click here to find out.
  •  The effects and duration of the effects of a drug depends on the drug/drugs used and the physical and psychological makeup of the person using them.

 

Key Findings by the CIPD (last updated 2007)

Dealing with drug and alcohol problems

  • Only 33% of employers train managers in how to manage misuse of drug and alcohol at work and just 22% train employees generally in organisation procedures in tackling these issues.
  • 22% of employers currently carry out testing for alcohol or drug misuse and a further 9% plan to introduce some form of testing
  • Almost a fifth of employers are planning to introduce a combined policy on drug and alcohol misuse at work
  • 60% of employers prohibit alcohol consumption on the organisations’ premises and 24% prohibit alcohol consumption when entertaining in work time.
  • 27% would report employees that are found to have used illegal drugs to the police
  • Almost a third (31%) of organisations have dismissed employees in the last two years due to alcohol problems
  • 15% of organisations have dismissed members of staff where the reason or a significant underlying was drugs
  • Just 12% of respondent organisations have referred employees with drugs problems to specialist treatment and rehabilitation in the last two years

 

Statistics on Drug Misuse England 2012  NHS The Information Centre- A detailed survey carried out about adult, young people and children’s drug use/misuse.

 

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