YOUTH IN THE DRUG FREE WORKPLACE
A Call to Action
Increasing numbers of adolescents are entering the workplace. In fact, the number of workers age 16 to 19 is projected to approach 9 million by 2006.1 These adolescents will form a significant portion of the labor pool from which businesses will draw during the coming decade. Therefore, efforts within the workplace to identify and get help for young people who have substance abuse problems are a vital contribution to ensuring the health and productivity of this future labor pool. Here are some facts:
- Substance abuse among adolescents is a serious public health problem. More than half of 12th graders in the United States have used an illicit drug, and past-month use of alcohol in 1999 was 24 percent for 8th graders, 40 percent for 10th graders, and 51 percent for 12th graders.2
- Overall, more than half (57 percent) of young people participate in some type of work activity while age 14, and almost two-thirds (64 percent) work at some point while age 15.3
- The approximately 20 percent of adolescents who work for more than 20 hours per week are at greater risk for a range of health problems, including depression and substance abuse.4
- During the summer, more than 3 million youth under age 18 work at summer jobs. Most adolescents (51 percent) work in the retail industry, which includes fast-food outlets and food stores.5
- Substance abuse has a significant impact in the workplace, with costs estimated at over $100 billion annually.6 For example, alcoholism causes 500 million lost workdays each year.7
- Substance-abusing employees average more sick days than employees without substance abuse problems, and they are also more likely to be involved in a workplace accident.8
- Substance abuse treatment significantly reduces medical claims, absenteeism, and disability; increases productivity; and results in a healthier and safer environment for all employees.
Getting Involved—Next Steps
- Establish a workplace substance abuse program to reflect your company's commitment to a work environment free of substance abuse. These programs should include a written substance abuse policy statement, supervisor training, employee education and awareness, and assistance to employees needing help. If you have an employee assistance program in place, ensure that it addresses substance abuse and younger workers.
- Conduct an evaluation of your workplace to ensure that it is a safe and "recovery friendly" environment. For example, consider safe and sober office celebrations, along with traffic safety facts related to drunk driving.
- Avoid workplace conditions that are associated with employee drinking problems, including limited work supervision, low job autonomy, boring or isolating work, and available or accessible alcohol.9
- Recognize the on-the-job warning signs of adolescent alcohol and drug abuse.10 Keep in mind, however, that while these signs may be indicative of potential substance abuse, they can also indicate other problems and do not constitute a definitive diagnosis. Some of these signs and symptoms include:
- Inconsistent work quality
- Poor concentration
- Lowered productivity
- Increased absenteeism
- Unexplained disappearances from the job site
- Carelessness, mistakes
- Errors in judgment
- Needless risk-taking
- Disregard for safety
- Regular injuries and accidents on the job
- Extended lunch periods and early departures
- Fatigue
- Repeated health complaints
- Frequent financial problems
- Red and glazed eyes
- A lasting cough
- Personality changes or sudden mood swings
- Irritability
- Apathy
- Educate all employees about the warning signs of substance abuse, particularly first-line supervisors who have the greatest amount of contact with adolescent employees. Supervisors should be educated about the value of treatment and recovery, rather than firing people with substance abuse problems or addictive disorders.
- Display in employee lounges or locker rooms posters and other educational materials on the dangers of substance abuse and how to seek help for substance abuse problems.
- Help your adolescent employees find the help they need. You may want to compile a list of drug education, treatment, and recovery services available in your community that can be shared with employees who may have substance abuse problems. If you have an employee assistance program at your company, use it as a resource for education, guidance, referral, and treatment.
- Provide parents of teens in your workplace with information and tools to give positive messages to their children about drug abuse.
Additional Resources for the Workplace
Employee Assistance Professionals Association
2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 500
Arlington, VA 22201
703-522-6272
http://www.eapassn.org/Employee Assistance Society of North America
435 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1717
Chicago, IL 60611-4067
312-644-0828Institute for a Drug-Free Workplace
1225 I Street, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20005
202-842-7400
www.drugfreeworkplace.orgWorking Partners for an Alcohol and Drug-Free Workplace
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-2312
Washington, DC 20210
202-219-6001, ext. 152 or 137
www.dol.gov/dol/workingpartners.htmNational Association for Student Assistance Professionals
4200 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 106-118
Washington, DC 20016
1-800-257-6310
www.nasap.orgNational Institute on Drug Abuse
National Institutes of Health
Office of Science Policy and Communication
6001 Executive Boulevard
Room 5213 MSC 9561
Bethesda, MD 20892-9561
301-443-1124
Telefax fact sheets: 888-NIH-NIDA (voice) or
888-TTY-NIDA (TTY)
www.drugabuse.gov
www.clubdrugs.orgSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
Workplace Hotline
800-967-5752
http://prevention.samhsa.gov/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
National Helpline
800-662-HELP (800-662-4357)
(for confidential information on substance abuse treatment and referral)National Directory of Drug Abuse and Alcoholism Treatment Programs
www.samhsa.govSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
P.O. Box 2345
Rockville, MD 20847-2345
800-729-6686
www.health.org
Sources
1 U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Actual and Projected Labor Force. URL: http://stats.bls.gov. (Accessed November 9, 1999.)
2 National Institute on Drug Abuse. Drug Use Among Teenagers Leveling 0ff. (News Release). Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999. URL: http://www.drugabuse.gov/MedAdv/99/NR-1217a.html (Accessed December 20, 1999.)
3 U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Employment Experience and Other Characteristics of Youths: Results from a New Longitudinal Survey Summary. April 30, 1999.
4 Resnick, M.D., et al. Protecting Adolescents From Harm. Findings from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health. JAMA 278(10):823-32, 1997.
5 U.S. Department of Labor. Child Labor Fact Sheets. URL: http://www.youthrules.dol.gov/factsheets.htm
6 Falco, M. The Making of a Drug-Free America: Programs That Work. New York: Times Books, 1992.
7 National Association of Treatment Providers. Treatment is the Answer: A White Paper on the Cost-Effectiveness of Alcoholism and Drug Dependency Treatment. Laguna Hills, CA: National Association of Treatment Providers, March 1991.
8 Backer, T.E. Strategic Planning for Workplace Drug Abuse Programs. National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 1987 (page 4).
9 Alcohol and the Workplace. Alcohol Alert, No. 44, JuIy 1999.
10 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Substance Use Disorders, October 1997.
