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Drugs in the Workplace

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Drug Prevalence in the Workplace

In the past two decades, drug use in the workplace has risen drastically (Lee, 2011, p303). At least 16.4 million drug abusers and 15 million “heavy alcohol user” work a part time or full time job (“Help Prevent Workplace Drug Use”, 2009; “Most Illicit Drug Users and Heavy Alcohol Users are in the Workplace”, 2007). Many of these substance abusers admit to using their drug of choice before or during their work hours (“Help Prevent Workplace Drug Use”, 2009). Many of these users also admit they know of illegal drug sales in the workplace place (“Drugs and Alcohol in the Workplace”, n.d.). Food service workers and construction workers have the two highest rates for using illicit drug use in the workplace. Construction, mining, excavation and drilling workers rated highest for the heaviest alcohol drinkers. The next highest rates were found among installation, maintenance, and repair workers (“Most Illicit Drug Users and Heavy Alcohol Users are in the Workplace”, 2007). The lowest rate of current drug users where among protection service workers (“Drug Free Workplace”, n.d.). Not only has the drug use in the workplace change, but the types of drugs found in the workplace had changed. Since 2009 the percentage of in the workplace cocaine users has declined by 29 percent to about .29 percent of the working population. However, more stricter and random work drug test has showed that twice as many employees as before are using heroin and prescription pain killers on the job. Heroin abuse in employees has made a huge increase from 0.008 percent to 0.04 percent; with transportation workers having a 20 percent increase in use (Fisher, 2011). These random work drug tests at work have showed 18 percent increase in the prescription abuse of opiates, such as oxycodone and oxymorphone (more commonly known as Vicodin and Oxycontin). This has

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