Reports shed light on workers’ substance use disorders

Washington – Workplace programs on alcohol and drug abuse might not reach many of the people who need the services most, according to a pair of reports from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The first report focused on workplace policies and programs. Researchers found that 31.5 percent of full-time employees who reported using drugs in the previous month worked for an employer that provided educational material about substance use. For heavy alcohol users, 39.2 percent had access to the materials.

The second report analyzed the scope of substance use disorders among full-time workers. It found that 10.8 million full-time workers – 9.5 percent of the nation’s full-time workforce – had substance use disorders. The same was true for 3.3 million part-time workers, which comprised 12 percent of the part-time workforce.

Both reports relied on 2008-2012 findings from SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health.