NCJ Number
140168
Journal
Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 22 Issue: 4 Dated: (Fall 1992) Pages: 923-937
Date Published
1992
Length
15 pages
Annotation
These authors present evidence to suggest that the incidence of workplace substance abuse has been exaggerated, discuss the misperception that drugs are a serious problem for American employers, and draw conclusions for management and human resource personnel.
Abstract
Estimates of economic and productivity losses due to alcohol and drug use are often based on flawed statistics or on faulty logic inherent in concepts such as "lost earnings." Several studies have shown that workplace costs of alcohol and drug abuse are lower than expected and may be less than the costs borne by these companies to sponsor anti-drug programs. The authors believe that the moral panic concerning the perceived drug epidemic in America is overstated, given the low numbers of Americans who use illicit drugs and the relatively high tolerance of legal substances. Closely related to moral panic, and instigated by many of the same causes, is the neo-temperance movement which has shaped public attitudes and biases toward drug users. The media, politicians, and drug entrepreneurs have been instrumental in promoting this movement. The current reliance on drug testing as an effective solution to the drug problem is based on unproven assumptions: that there is an extensive substance abuse problem in the workplace, that drug testing deters drug use, and that drug testing is cost effective. 37 references