Nearly 10% of full-time workers report alcohol, illicit drug dependency within last year

Nearly 10% of full-time workers were dependent on or abused alcohol or illicit drugs in the past year, according to a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Researchers assessed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health for 2008 through 2012 to determine substance use among full-time workers aged 18 to 64 years in the United States. Heavy alcohol use was defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion on 5 or more days in the past 30 days. Marijuana, cocaine, inhalants, hallucinogens, heroin and prescription-type drugs used non-medically were considered illicit drugs.

This report serves as an update to a similar report in 2007.

Overall, the rate of heavy alcohol use in the past month among full-time workers was 8.7%, ranging from 17.5% among workers in the mining industry to 4.4% among health care and social assistance industry workers.

Mining and construction industries had the highest rates of heavy alcohol use in the past month, at 17.5% and 16.5%, respectively. When adjusting for gender and age differences, this finding remained true for construction, but not mining. This suggests that the high rate of heavy alcohol use in the mining industry may be due to demographic composition of the industry.

Pamela S. Hyde

The overall rate of illicit drug use in the past month was 8.6% among full-time workers, ranging from 19.1% among the accommodation and food industry to 4.3% among the public administration industry.

The overall rate of substance use disorders within the past year was 9.5% among the study cohort, ranging from 16.9% among workers in the accommodations and food services industries to 5.5% among workers in the educational services industry. When controlling for age and gender, workers in the accommodations and food industry did not have the highest rate of substance use disorders within the past year, suggesting this finding may be due to demographic composition of the industry.

From 2008 to 2012, rates of illicit drug use in the past month increased among workers in the accommodations and food industry (from 16.9% to 19.1%) and the education services industry (from 3.7% to 4.8%). These rates decreased among workers in the construction services industry, from 13.9% to 11.6%.

Additionally, rates of substance use disorders in the past year decreased among workers in the construction, management, wholesale trade and manufacturing industries during the study period.

“Substance use issues pose an enormous risk to the health, safety and productivity of American workers,” Pamela S. Hyde, JD, administrator of SAMHSA, said in a press release. “Every segment of the community needs to help tackle this problem, including employers. By developing and actively promoting workplace programs such as Employee Assistance Programs for helping employees deal with substance use problems, employers can significantly improve health, well-being and productivity of their employees.” – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.

Reference:

Bush DM, et al. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CBHSQ report: Substance use and substance use disorder, by industry. Available at: http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_1959/ShortReport-1959.pdf. Accessed April 16, 2015.