Importance of A Drug Free Workplace and Strategy of Ensuring It

Presence of employees using illicit drugs can cause various issues for a company. Organisational reputation, performance and compliance are threatened with the presence of drug users in the workplace. This article explores the importance of having a drug-free workplace and strategies for ensuring it.

The issue of Drug Usage Among US Adults

Figure: Number of Americans Using Illicit Drugs by Type of Drugs

The issue of illicit drug usage has become a significant concern among US adults. There are diversified types of drugs being used by the US adults among which Marijuana has been identified as the most significant one. About 61 million US adults have been identified to be using Marijuana followed by other drug users such as Cocaine or Methamphetamine in 2023. The involvement of such a large number of individuals with illicit drug usage highlights the growing concern about it.

Figure: Usage of Different Forms of Drugs by US Adults of Different Gender

The usage of different forms of drugs significantly varied among US men and women. For instance, about 42.4% US men have been found to be using drugs while 50.5% women were assessed for drug usage. Along with the medically prescribed drugs and legal drugs, a large number of individuals use illicit or illegal drugs. The number of illicit drug users in the US is also rising over time. An increase of about 1.9% in the number of illicit drug users have been identified in the US. The rising number of such drug users has become a severe issue due to the negative impacts of drug usage on the lives of these people.

Negative Impacts of Illicit Drug Usage on People

Usage of illicit drugs comes with several impacts on people. The effects of drug usage includes both physical as well as behavioural impacts. Some of the most common health impacts of drug usage are nausea, weaker immunity, lung disease and even heart conditions. Apart from the impacts on health, use of drugs also impacts the way people behave. Dopamine secretion after using illicit drugs reduces the ability to think. Poor thinking capacity impacts emotions or the capacity of making life choices by people. Poor ability to think or emotional changes also relates with the employment or workplace behaviour of people.

Importance of Having a Drug-Free Workplace

There are several benefits of having a drug-free workplace. Some of the main benefits are discussed below:

Workplace Safety

Figure: Workplace Safety

Workplace safety is threatened by having employees who use drugs. People being under the influence of illicit drugs often increase the likelihood of accidents or injuries. These accidents or injuries can impact both the drug user and the employees working together. For avoiding such risks it is essential to have a drug free workplace.

Productivity in the Workplace

The increased level of Dopamine secretion impacts employee's ability to think or make choices. High levels of error are also identified by the people under the influence of drugs in the workplace. Apart from this, many drug users also tend to stay away from the workplace. These conditions impact workplace productivity very much. Maintaining a drug-free workplace is crucial to ensure high productivity.

Employee Well-being

Usage of illicit drugs directly affects both physical and mental health of employees. It becomes challenging for organisations to ensure employee well-being by having drug users in the workplace. This indicates that for improving overall employee well-being the workplace needs to be drug free.

Compliance

Usage of illegal drugs by employees can cause legal issues by companies also. Some industries strictly forbid the usage of illegal drugs by employees. This indicates that for avoiding the legal issues it is important to have a drug-free workplace.

Reputation of the Company

Reputation of a company can be affected by having drug addicts as employees. Negative reputation is severely challenging as it can impact relationships with stakeholders. To avoid such issues it is important to have a drug free workplace.

Organisational Cost

Presence of drug users in the workplace also results in high costs for companies. Issues such as accidents, premiums of insurance or absenteeism lead to high costs for companies in the presence of drug addict employees. In order to reduce these costs companies need to make sure that the workplace is drug free.

Strategies to Make Sure That a Workplace is Drug Free

Pre-employment Drug Testing

Pre-employment drug testing is a very important strategy companies can follow to make sure the workplace is drug free. A pre-employment drug screening helps companies to identify if a candidate uses illicit drugs. This is a crucial necessity of the hiring process to avoid drug addict candidates. However, companies also need to know the time required for pre-employment drug screening to plan accordingly. Proper planning considering the time required for such screening of candidates will help companies in timely recruitment procedure.

Organisational Policy Implementation

Development of organisational policies informing employees of avoiding the usage of illicit drugs can be crucial. The expected behaviours and the potential consequences are needed to be clearly mentioned in such policies.

Periodical Drug Testing

Companies need to perform periodical drug testing of their employees. Periodical drug and health screening of the employees will help in identification of any issues relating to drug usage. This is also essential to reduce costs, maintain productivity and ensure legal compliance.

Training of Employees

Employee training can be important for making sure a workplace is drug free. Companies need to give employees training on the potential risks of drug use. The understanding of the risks and consequences will help companies in preventing employees from drug usage.