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"More than 70% of individuals with alcohol or illicit drug use continue to maintain employment, as many employees with alcohol or other drug problems can continue to remain "functioning." Companies & organisations can no longer ignore the realities & repercussions of alcohol & other drugs in the workplace"[1]
Did you know that close to 10% of adults aged 16 to 59 years (approximately 3 million people); and around 1 in 5 adults aged 16 to 24 years (approximately 1.1 million people), reported using drugs in the 12 months up to June 2022 [2]
The above statistics show that around 4 million people of working age reported drug use. - These are employees who could potentially pose a clear and present danger to your company's or organisation's productivity/bottom line, reputation, and risk of legal action (criminal and civil prosecution) - serious matters which has even resulted in high profile companies and organisations being forced to close down.
As we are regarded as the UK's leading Drug & Alcohol Safety Experts a across the UK and Southern Ireland, Drug Testing UK, regularly reports on: "the increase in drug and alcohol misuse in society, and the increase in importance of Workplace Drug and Alcohol Policies for businesses across all sectors" [2]. We also provide our clients with FREE simple, easy to understand written guidance on compiling a robust, comprehensive Drug and Alcohol Policy, which should be effectively communicated to, and rigorously followed by all employees.
Legal Regulations & the Need to Conduct Regular Drug & Alcohol Tests
In the UK and Southern Ireland, it is mandatory to have a Health and Safety Policy in place, and to that end, ensuring that it has a section dedicated to 'Drugs and Alcohol in the Workplace', is essential for companies, organisations, institutions, educational facilities, and medical centres and hospitals, etc.
A clear documented policy that all employees are mindful of, will go a long way towards reducing the risk of accidents caused by illegal drug & alcohol misuse in the workplace - this particularly vital where heavy plant & machinery in road & rail transport, construction & manufacturing, is involved"
Research undertaken by Drug Testing Kits UK, shows that:
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Employees under the influence of drugs or alcohol could pose serious safety risks to fellow employees and the general public
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They will have low productivity, and deliver poor quality work
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They can potentially cause upsets with fellow employees. associates, and clients, due to their demeanour
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Low quality work could seriously affect your business’s/organisation's reputation
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Unproductive staff lose you money
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They can lower the morale of fellow employees, which can result in more productivity issues
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Staff absence is one of the major costs linked to illegal drug and alcohol use. To that end, enforcing procedures and policies which deter employees from misusing drugs and alcohol, will result in less absenteeism
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Pre-employment drug and alcohol screening will empower your company/organisation to guard against employing staff who could be abusing illegal drugs or alcohol. This important element of illegal drug and alcohol testing could save you a great deal of money on recruitment costs and potential issues with new employees further down the line
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Minimising Risk to Your Company/Organisation
In a nutshell, it is not only crucial to have a Workplace Drug & Alcohol Policy in place, Workplace Drug and Alcohol Policy in place, you also need to be abreast of the complex, ever-changing government regulations in relation to health and safety in the workplace, (and when applicable, outside the workplace); it is also essential to conduct regular scheduled and unscheduled drug and alcohol testing. As our CX Team at Drug Testing UK, will tell you, all our certified quality, quick, simple-to-use drug and alcohol tests, can be easily administered by an appointed member of staff. This saves you the unnecessary expense of having to arrange for a medic to call in; moreover, it gives you the flexibility to conduct the tests as and when an appropriate time arises (which may be different if you have a number of departments).
Advice on the latest cutting-edge, highly accurate, fast results, reasonably priced, approved non-invasive multiple drug and alcohol testing kits, are available from Drug Testing UK. Our professional highly trained specialist customer service team, are always on hand to give you FREE advice on the current regulations in the UK and Southern Ireland, as well as valuable information on the types of tests which would be most beneficial and economic for your company's/organisation's/clinical healthcare/personal needs.
What Are the Current Trends in Individual Drug Types?
According to the Office For National Statistics (ONS), and the studies conducted by our Health Science Researcher at Drug Testing Kits UK, in the 12 months ending June 2022, the following 5 substances been the most frequently used:
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Cannabis: Since estimates began in the year ending December 1995, cannabis has consistently been the most used drug in England & Wales. In the latest year, 7.4% & 16.2% of adults aged 16 to 59 years & 16 to 24 years, respectively, reported having used this illegal drug in the last year" [2]
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Powder Cocaine: 2% of adults aged 16 to 59 years & 4% of adults aged 16 to 24 years, used this prohibited drug last year [2]
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Ecstasy: 0.7% of adults aged 16 to 59 years and 1.1% of adults aged 16 to 24 years reported taking this illicit drug over the last 12 months [2]
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New psychoactive substances (NPS): last year, the use of these increasing popular banned substances, involved 0.4% of adults aged 16 to 59 years and 0.9% of adults 16 to 24 years [2]
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Nitrous oxide: Over the previous 12 months, 1.3% of adults aged 16 to 59 years and 3.9% of adults aged 16 to 24 years, reported using nitrous oxide; this equates to approximately 444,000 and 230,000 individuals, respectively [2].
References
[1]. Harvard Health (2023). "Working on Addiction in the Workplace."
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/working-on-addiction-in-the-workplace-2017063011941
[2]. Office For National Statistics (2022)."Drug Misuse in England and Wales: Year Ending June 2022."
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/articles/drugmisuseinenglandandwales/yearendingjune2022
