Employee Education

Alcohol- and Drug-Free Workplace

Impact of Substance Abuse in the Workplace

 Employee health  Productivity  Decision making  Safety  Employee morale  Security  Organizational image and community relations

How common are alcohol-related problems in businesses in the Manufacturing sector?

For every 1000 employees:  Likely number of problem drinkers:

65

 Likely # of family members who are problem drinkers:

127

 Likely number of work days lost to sickness, injury, and absence because of problem drinking every year:

541

 Likely number of work days of lowered productivity associated with alcohol use each year:

323

 Likely number of extra nights spent in the hospital by employees and their family members each year:

53

 Likely number of extra emergency room visits by employees and their families each year:

38

How much do alcohol-related problems cost businesses in the Manufacturing sector?

For every 1,000 employees each year:  Work days lost to sickness, injury, and absence because of problem drinking:

$67,486

 Work days with lowered productivity associated with alcohol use:

$8,053

 Extra nights spent in the hospital by employees and their families:

$64,151

 Extra emergency room visits by employees and their families:

$22,708

 Extra health care costs to employers and employees for treatment of alcohol-related health problems:

$265,762

From: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems , George Washington Univ. Med Center

Ways that People Use Alcohol and Other Drugs

Use

:  Experimentation  Social/Recreational  As a stress reliever

Abuse:

Using a substance to

modify or control mood or state of mind

in a manner that is illegal or harmful to oneself or others.

Potential consequences of abuse include:  Accidents or injuries  Blackouts  Legal problems  Poor job performance  Family problems  Sexual behavior that increases the risk of HIV infection

Addiction

:

The

irresistible compulsion

to seek or use alcohol and other drugs

despite adverse social, psychological, or physical consequences.

It is characterized by:  repeated failures to control use,  physical dependence,  withdrawal symptoms,  increased tolerance, and  increased disruption in personal, family, or work life.

Understanding Addiction

 For one in ten people, abuse leads to addiction.  3/4 of those who use illegal drugs also work.

Addiction to alcohol and other drugs is:  Chronic  Progressive  Primary  Terminal  Characterized by denial.

Risk of addiction:  Addiction is a family disease  Prior abuse of alcohol and other drugs  Other contributing factors.

Signs and Symptoms of Substance Abuse

Abuse of alcohol and other drugs affects people:  Emotionally  Behaviorally  Physically

Emotional effects of substance abuse:

 Aggression  Burnout  Anxiety  Paranoia  Depression  Denial.

Behavioral effects of substance abuse:

 Slow reaction time  Impaired coordination  Slowed or slurred speech  Irritability  Excessive talking  Inability to sit still  Limited attention span  Poor motivation or lack of energy.

Physical effects of substance abuse:

 Weight loss  Sweating  Chills  Dilated pupils or bloodshot eyes  Slurred speech  Unsteady movements  Drowsiness, lethargy  Disorientation  Odor.

Family and Coworker Impact

Enabling

:  Action that someone takes to protect the person with the problem from the consequences of his or her actions.  Unfortunately, enabling actually helps the person to NOT deal with his or her problem.

Examples of enabling:  Covering Up  Rationalizing  Withdrawing/Avoiding  Blaming  Controlling  Threatening.

Examples of traps family members and coworkers may fall into when confronting the person with a problem:  Sympathy  Excuses  Apology  Diversions     Innocence Anger Pity Tears.

Specific Drugs of Abuse

 Alcohol  Marijuana  Cocaine  Stimulants/ Depressants  Hallucinogens  Narcotics

ALCOHOL

Also known as: Booze, Juice, Brew, Vino, Sauce

You probably know why alcohol is abused

 Relaxation  Sociability  Cheap High

ALCOHOL



But did you know that -

 Alcohol is a depressant that decreases the responses of the central nervous system  Excessive drinking can cause liver damage and psychotic behavior  As little as two beers or drinks can impair coordination and thinking  Alcohol is often used by substance abusers to enhance the effects of other drugs  Alcohol continues to be the most frequently abused substance among young adults.

ALCOHOL

 Additional Health effects of Alcohol:  Decreased sexual functioning  Liver disease  Increased cancers of the mouth, tongue, pharynx, esophagus, rectum, breast and skin  Kidney disease  Ulcers  Spontaneous abortion  Birth defects – leading cause of preventable retardation.

MARIJUANA

Also known as: Pot, Grass, Joints, Roaches, Reefer, Weed, Mary Jane

You probably know why marijuana is abused -

 Relaxation  Euphoria

MARIJUANA

But did you know that –

 Marijuana may cause impaired short-term memory, a shortened attention span and delayed reflexes  Marijuana may cause relaxed inhibitions, disoriented behavior  Health effects:  Emphysema-like symptoms  Respiratory track and sinus infections   Lowered immune system response During pregnancy, marijuana may cause birth defects  Marijuana may cause a fast heart rate and pulse.

COCAINE

Also known as: Coke, Dust, Snow, Flake, Blow, Girl

You probably know why cocaine is abused –

 Carefree Feeling  Euphoria  Relaxation  In control

COCAINE

But did you know that –

 Cocaine use may cause severe "mood swings" and irritability.  You need more and more cocaine each time you want a "high"  Cocaine increases your blood pressure and heart rate particularly dangerous if you have a heart condition  One use can cause

death

! (By Cardiac Arrest or Respiratory failure)  Preparation of freebase, which involves the use of volatile solvents, can result in death or injury from fire or explosion  Possession and use are illegal.

CRACK

Also known as Crack, "Crack cocaine", Freebase rocks, Rock 

You probably know why crack is abused –

 Quick high  Power  Euphoria

CRACK



But did you know that –

 Crack is almost instantly addictive  One use could cause a fatal heart attack  Repeated use may cause insomnia, hallucinations, seizures, paranoia  The euphoric effects of crack last only a few minutes  Crack possession and use are illegal in all fifty states  There are more hospitalizations per year resulting from crack and cocaine use than any other illicit substance.

Methamphetamine

Also known as: Meth, Crystal, Crank, Ice 

You probably know why meth is abused –

 Temporary mood elevation  Exhilaration (high)  Increased mental alertness  Upper-increase wakefulness

ICE - Methamphetamines



But did you know that –

 Ice is extremely addictive - sometimes with just one use!  Ice can cause convulsions, heart irregularities, high blood pressure, depression, restlessness, tremors, severe fatigue  An overdose can cause coma and death  When you stop using ice you may experience a deep depression  Ice causes a very jittery high, along with anxiety, insomnia, sometimes paranoia.

HALLUCINOGENS

LSD (Acid, Red/Green Dragon), Ecstasy (designer drug)_ PCP (Angel Dust, Loveboat) PCP & Cocaine (Beam me up Scottie), Mescaline l Psilocybin 

You probably know why hallucinogens are abused –

 Fun  Stimulation or depression  Behavioral changes

HALLUCINOGENS



But did you know that –

 One use of LSD or PCP can cause multiple and dramatic behavioral changes  Large doses of hallucinogens may cause convulsions and coma, ruptured blood vessels in the brain, irreversible brain damage, and heart or lung failure  Many hallucinogens cause unpleasant and potentially dangerous "flashbacks," long after the drug was used  Most hallucinogens cause "hallucinations" i.e., changes in perception of time, smell, touch, etc.

Narcotics

Narcotic analgesics include Opium, Opiates (morphine, codeine, percodan, heroin and dilaudid) and Opioids (synthetic substitutes such as vicodin, darvon, demerol, oxycontin and methadone)  Health effects:  Tolerance to narcotics develops rapidly and addiction is likely  The use of contaminated syringes may result in diseases such as HIV/AIDS, endocarditis and hepatitis  Addiction in pregnant women can lead to premature, stillborn or addicted infants who experience severe withdrawal symptoms.

Assistance

Things to remember:  Difficulty performing on the job can sometimes be caused by unrecognized personal problems including addiction to alcohol and other drugs  Help is available  Although a supervisor may suspect that an employee’s performance is poor because of underlying personal problems, it is up to the employee to decide whether or not that is the case

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP)

 Addiction is treatable and reversible   Help is available An employee’s decision to seek help is a private one and will not be made public  An EAP can help employees decide what to do if they or someone in his family or workgroup has a problem with alcohol or other drugs  Conversations with an EAP are confidential

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP)

 An EAP can help employees decide what to do if they have a problem with alcohol or other drugs  An EAP also can help an employee decide what to do if someone in his/her family or workgroup has a problem  Conversations with an EAP are confidential

Additional EAP, Mental Health and Community Resources:

 Private counselors or therapists  Addiction treatment centers  Community hotlines  Self-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon, etc.