Prevention as a strategy for drug use in the workplace
Alcohol and other drug use isn’t a fringe issue. In 2022–23, 17.9% of Australians aged 14 and over had used an illicit drug in the previous 12 months, including the non-medical use of pharmaceuticals. Meanwhile, 30.7% consumed alcohol at levels that increased their risk of alcohol-related disease or injury.
For employers, the focus should be on creating a workplace where alcohol and other drug use is less likely to affect safety and taking proactive steps before risks arise.
Why drug use becomes a workplace issue
Alcohol and other drugs can affect mood, behaviour, judgement, concentration, reaction time and physical coordination. SafeWork NSW warns that these effects can contribute to workplace incidents and injuries, particularly where employees are operating machinery, driving or performing other safety-sensitive tasks.
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation reports that among Australian workers who had consumed alcohol or illicit drugs in the previous 12 months, one in 37 had worked under the influence of alcohol and one in nine had worked under the influence of illicit drugs. It also estimates that alcohol-related absenteeism costs Australian workplaces around $3.6 billion each year.
These risks are particularly relevant in transport, mining, construction, manufacturing and healthcare, where a lapse in judgement or slower reaction time can have serious consequences.
Prevention is where it’s at
Addressing drug use in the workplace doesn’t have to begin with a non-negative test. It should start way before then.
A major review of alcohol prevention and treatment research found some evidence that workplace programs can change drinking norms and reduce harmful drinking. It also found evidence supporting brief interventions for harmful alcohol consumption, although people with more serious alcohol problems may require professional treatment.
Research into employee assistance programs has similarly highlighted workplaces as good places to start for prevention, screening, early identification, short-term counselling and referral to specialist treatment.
It’s important to note that there’s not one specific intervention every workplace should adopt but recognising that prevention can start at any time, the sooner the better, and it all contributes to better long-term objectives.
Victoria’s Department of Health offers:
“Examples of prevention mechanisms include:
- informing people about the effects and the harms associated with the use of alcohol and other drugs
- changing laws and regulations that govern sales of alcohol and tobacco
- providing positive role modelling of alcohol and other drug use
- helping people to reduce stress in their lives
- developing safe environments that reduce the risk of harmful use.”
Whilst this is addressing drug use more broadly, most of it can be distilled down to the workplace. Essentially, by providing:
All of which are beneficial for your organisation and employees, even if you discount drug and alcohol use and effects of.
Work as part of the ecosystem
Work is a big part of most people’s lives and it should be treated as part of the lifestyle ecosystem.
Research has identified workplace factors that may influence substance use and recovery, including job demands, workplace culture, isolation, stress, fatigue, injury and pain, as well as workplace norms around substance use. “Key risk factors identified comprise high job strain, workplace-related stress, low social support, job insecurity, unfavorable organizational culture, and shift work.”
WorkSafe Victoria similarly identifies potential contributors such as shift work, unrealistic deadlines, inadequate resources, poor supervisor support, bullying and harassment, job insecurity and peer pressure.
Managing psychosocial hazards, workloads and fatigue, supporting appropriate recovery between shifts and giving employees confidential ways to seek help form part of a broader alcohol and other drug strategy.
Take a look at our resources on workplace wellbeing:
Can workplace wellbeing reduce alcohol and drug misuse?
The impact of working from home on substance use
Mental wellness in the workplace is crucial
How to create a mentally healthy workplace
Safe and healthy workplaces: understanding the role of stress in substance use
Wellbeing in the workplace is a leadership priority
The strongest approach is a combination
The strongest general approach to drug use in the workplace combines prevention, clear policies, appropriate drug and alcohol testing and employee support. Employees and managers should understand fitness-for-work expectations and how to respond to potential risks, while testing programs should reflect the workplace’s risk profile and follow appropriate procedures. Where concerns arise, employers can prioritise immediate safety while also providing pathways to support such as employee assistance programs, counselling or treatment.
We recommend that alcohol and drug testing works best as one part of a broader workplace prevention and risk-management strategy.