Drug-free philosophy works in the workplace, too
National Drug-Free Work Week 2007 will be held Sunday through Saturday, Oct. 14-20, and employers and workers across the nation are encouraged to participate.

Drug-Free Work Week is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor in coordination with members of its Drug-Free Workplace Alliance. The program is designed to highlight the importance of safety in the workplace.

Did you know that in 2005, an estimated 19.7 million Americans were current illicit drug users, and of those illicit drug users, 12.9 million were employed?

Similarly, among 52.6 million adult binge drinkers, 42.1 million were employed and of the 15.4 million persons reporting heavy alcohol use, 12.5 million were employed. Furthermore, among the U.S. working-age population diagnosed with substance use disorder, 62.7 percent were employed full-time.

Substance use and abuse are not necessarily limited to after-work hours, leading to the risk of impairment on the job. An estimated 3.1 percent of employed adults actually used illicit drugs before reporting to work or during work hours at least once in the past year, with about 2.9 percent working while under the influence of an illicit drug.

An estimated 1.8 percent of employed adults consumed alcohol before coming to work, and 7.1 percent drank alcohol during the workday. An estimated 1.7 percent of employed adults worked while under the influence of alcohol, and 9.2 percent worked with a hangover in the past year.

What does all of this mean to you? Well, for one thing, you may not be as safe as you thought at work. For example, 80 percent of the people hurt in on-the-job accidents involving marijuana are the co-workers of the users - not the users themselves.

Then there are the alcohol abusers who may have such a bad headache that they just can't concentrate. Or maybe they choose to drink on the job and ignore the fact that the brain's ability to coordinate mental and physical activities is reduced even after a drink or two, making alcohol particularly dangerous on the job.

Another drug category is stimulants, which can cause tension, irritability, aggressiveness, fatigue, dizziness, and impaired concentration and judgment.

Other substances can pose other risks to workplace safety and performance. Common examples include cold and allergy remedies and antihistamines, which can cause drowsiness and slow reaction time.

Even caffeine, in big enough doses - like those in "stay awake" pills, diet aids and industrial strength office coffee - can disrupt concentration and trigger activity. And don't forget about the "energy" drinks, which are just loaded with caffeine. Your safety, as well as that of your spouse, child, parent, etc., may be at risk.

The Amherst Task Force for Healthy Community/ Healthy Youth is encouraging participation in this national event by distributing posters to local businesses. We have also asked our membership to share what their place of work is doing to provide a safe environment.

One member stated that her employer has declared the entire office and parking lot as a smoke-free zone and has offered to help employees quit smoking. Another member noted the Employee Assistance Programs that are being offered, addressing ways to relieve stress without the use of alcohol or other drugs.

If you are an employer and your efforts are not being noticed, maybe you are not communicating them strongly enough.

If you have nothing in place, you could begin by (1) establishing an Employee Assistance Program, (2) create a forum for learning about drug abuse, (3) refer employees to your Human Resource Department for help, (4) create an organizational environment that supports employees, and lastly, (5) make sure your health care package covers addiction treatment.

Help us celebrate Drug-Free Workplace Week. Watch for the signs around town for businesses that support a safe, healthy and drug-free workplace, and thank those businesses for their efforts.

The November HC/HY column will deal with homework. The question being posed is this, "What strategies or support do you recall really helped you organize and complete your homework? What suggestions would you give to parents and/or young people?"

Your comments and suggestions are welcome. If you have an idea for a topic, please let us know. Contact the Amherst Task Force at 4255 Harlem Road, Amherst, NY 14226 or e-mail Sally@eccpasa.info.