The Wall Street Journal recently ran an article highlighting drug abuse in the workplace and the impact on employers. Apparently, the overall rate of workers in the U.S. who tested positive for drugs declined 18 percent between 2003 and 2013. However, the rate of use for certain opioids, including painkillers such as hydromorphone and hydrocodone, as well as heroin, has increased. As a result, at one manufacturer, 70 percent of applicants are failing required drug tests.
Obviously, drug abuse in the workplace creates a potentially dangerous situation. It is well documented that accident rates increase in such a situation, while theft and absenteeism also rise. Those companies and their chambers of commerce have come up with a number of plans to combat the drug usage problem, the most important being education and non-criminal intervention for those who seek assistance.
But what of your workplace or other workplaces you know about? Is there a drug problem at work in metropolitan St. Louis, and if so, what kind, how prevalent is it and what is being done to address the problem? Add to the dialogue in the comments below.