Study Examines Substance Abuse Among US Full-Time Workers

HealthDay (4/17, Preidt) reports that a new study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) suggests that “nearly one in 10 full-time workers in the United States has had a recent substance abuse problem.” Specifically, an “analysis of data gathered between 2008 and 2012 from more than 111,500 adults with full-time jobs revealed that 9.5 percent of them had an alcohol or illicit-drug disorder in the previous year.” Commenting on the study, SAMHSA Administrator Pamela Hyde said, “Every segment of the community needs to help tackle this problem, including employers.” Hyde added, “By developing and actively promoting workplace programs such as Employee Assistance Programs for helping employees deal with substance use problems, employers can significantly improve the health, well-being, and productivity of their employees.”

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— “Substance Abuse Reported by About 1 in 10 American Workers,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, April 6, 2015.

Posted in In The News.