DRUG AND ALCOHOL PROBLEMS AT WORK ARE WIDESPREAD, BUT CAN BE BETTER MANAGED WITH AN EAP
The problem:
- 85% of heavy drinkers are employed and 57% of perpetrators of domestic violence are under the influence of alcohol.
- U.S. Labor Department statistics show more than 14 million Americans are illicit drug users, and some three-quarters are employed. Alcohol and drug abuse costs employers an estimated $81 billion in lost productivity annually.
- Employer costs for mental health and substance abuse disabilities rose 335 percent between 1989 and 1995, faster than any other category of medical expenses.
The solution:
- The Department of Labor's Working Partners for an Alcohol and Drug-Free Workplace reports that EAPs prove valuable in getting at-risk employees to see patterns that could lead to a substance abuse problem. Screening and Brief Intervention (SBI) is an interviewing technique EAP counselors can use to determine a person's risk for substance abuse. Clinical tests evaluating SBI have found most interviewees significantly reduce their alcohol use, and some stop using entirely. (see Working Solutions To Substance Abuse web site)
- General Motors reported a 65 - 75% success rate for the 6500 employees with alcohol problems their EAP counsels each year; and estimates that it gains $3 for every $1 spent on care.
- Blue collar workers who resolve their alcohol and drug abuse problems through an EAP file only half as many grievances as they did before treatment.
