Drug-Free Work Week: Top 5 ways to participate

The third annual Drug-Free Work Week kicked off this week (October 20-26, 2008), to educate employers, employees, and the general public about the importance of being drug-free as a part of improving workplace safety and health.

Workplaces across the country are affected daily by drug use. Over two-thirds of alcohol and drug abusers in the U.S. were employed either full or part time in 2007, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings.

The Department of Labor created a list of activities employers can do during Drug-Free Work Week to promote a safer, healthier workplace through substance abuse prevention and intervention.

Here are our picks for the top 5 ways to get involved in Drug-Free Work Week:

Implement a Drug-Free Workplace Program if you don’t already have one. The DOL’s Working Partners Web site provides free tools and information to help you get started.

Promote your existing Drug-Free Workplace Program. Distribute your company policy to employees with an attached message promoting a healthy and safe workplace. Also include information where employees can ask questions, either privately or at an open discussion.

Train supervisors and educate workers. Train supervisors on the company’s policy regarding alcohol and drug use, how to identify potential problems and how to offer employees assistance. Hold training sessions for employees with guest speakers on how drugs affect workplace safety and health.

Allow employees to volunteer in community drug-prevention efforts. Show your organization’s dedication to a drug-free workplace by granting employees time off to volunteer in drug-prevention activities in the community.

Hold a special event promoting safety and health. Organize a social event in the office, complete with healthy snacks and sweets, that reinforces the importance of staying healthy and drug free.


Whether you celebrate Drug-Free Work Week this week or at a time more suitable to your business’ schedule, the important thing to remember is to encourage and educate employees how to stay drug-free, safe and healthy.

Visit the DOL’s Working Partners for more Drug-Free Work Week activities and more ways to promote a drug-free workplace.

How is your organization celebrating Drug-Free Work Week?

Drug-Free Work Week: Top 5 ways to participate

Alcoholism in the workplace

Excessive alcohol use and alcoholism costs U.S. employers an estimated $134 billion in lost productivity. On average, nine percent of workers have drinking habits that contribute to absenteeism, higher health care costs and lost productivity.

Hospitality, construction and wholesale industries have significantly higher alcohol abuse rates and cases of alcoholism in the workplace, according to a recent report.

The findings are from a report on alcohol abuse by Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems at the George Washington University Medical Center.

Younger employees are also at risk. More than 18 percent of young workers between the ages of 18 and 25 have an alcohol-related problem, compared to just seven percent of workers older than 25.

Alcohol abuse poses a difficult challenge in the workplace because it is often hidden. With a small investment in effective prevention and treatment for alcohol problems, employers can reduce costs and help employees, according to Ensuring Solutions.

Ensuring Solutions has created a helpful calculator to help employers estimate the impact of alcohol problems and the potential cost savings to be gained through screening and intervention.

What can you do to help employees with alcohol problems at your office?

• Teach the difference between safe and risky drinking.
• Screen for alcohol problems.
• Cover treatment through health insurance.
• Support treatment and recovery.

Alcoholism in the workplace