Internal Revenue Service. My latest book, published in 1987,

Drug Free Workplace develops a model for creating a drug-free (1)

workplace.

In my unique position as an EAP evaluator, I have reviewed as part of a team of national experts in psychology and psychiatry thousands of EAP case records which dramatically reflect the destructive effects of drug abuse upon individual lives and industry. They include life-threatening conditions, child-abuse, family discord, violence and health problems that are directly attributable to drug use. The following cases typically represent employees with addiction problems in the American workplace throughout each of the states in our country. They are real life examples taken from my consulting work. Legalization will cause more of the same, resulting in an impossible situation for American business.

A public transportation driver, referred by management
because of an accumulation of bad driving points. The
employee admitted to illicit drug use, illicit drug
distribution and gambling. There were additional pro-
blems of weight control, family conflict and employee's
own awareness of an inability to function on the job.
[The EAP provided drug and psychiatric evaluation and
treatment.]

A subway maintenance worker, self-referred and seeking

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help for alcohol and cocaine problems which culminated in the break-up of his 15 year marriage.[This person called an EAP counselor after he had started drinking – he stated that he did not want to live and wanted to

isor.]

kill his supervisor.

[EAP provided immediate treatment and notification of

the supervisor of the potential danger.]

An air traffic controller, self-referred because he had been arrested for a felony and public intoxication charge. There had been continuous problems with the law and personal finances. The employee's roommate was a cocaine user which resulted in violent arguments. He

was planning to move out.]

{EAP referred the employee to in-patient treatment for

alcoholism.]

A data processor who was referred by her supervisor for
poor job performance revealed during counseling that
she has to care for her grandchildren because her
daughter has become a cocaine addict. The daughter goes
on "rampages" threatening to kill her and the children.
The stress of the situation and responsibilities had
made it impossible for her to concentrate on job
assignments.

children.]

[EAP counseled employee and assisted her in obtain

ing treatment for her daughter as well as child

care for the grandchildren.]

Female employee with a security clearance who lived

with her alcoholic father came in for counseling. She described her father as "violent

(he had) shot (his)

wife." Although there is no further explanation in the case of what happened to the mother, the employee revealed during counseling that the father is "doing to the daughter what he did to the mother except (he) doesn't hit her."

[The company's EAP was requested to give special attention to this employee and her problems.]

Facts:

In previous testimony before this Committee in September, 1984, I stated that I had seen a dramatic increase in drug proprograms in industry. As evidenced by the described cases, today there is a greater need for even more programs.

It is critical to recognize that:

a majority of drug abusers (of both legal and
illicit drugs) are in the workplace

19-25 year olds are the most frequent users

of cocaine, with 25-35 year olds being the second most frequent user group (according to NIDA's recent Household Survey)

the workplace bears the effects as well as the cost of illicit and legal drug abuse by paying escalating health insurance bills

alcohol (a legal drug) is still the primary drug of abuse in the workplace

prescription drugs (also legal) are the second largest group of drugs abused by the American

worker

many of the nation's costly industrial problems which result from drug abuse are increasing absenteeism, excessive sick leave, accidents, rising health benefits claims and increased worker's compensation claims. Legalization will not stop these costs to industry; it will increase them.

the workplace is being forced to address the issue head on. Companies are investing in EAPS, drug testing and whatever else our so-called experts recommend. However, the workplace cannot afford any more drug users. The economic costs and loss of productivity are too high.

Solutions:

and

Control of addiction cannot be legislated either through permissiveness or restriction. Those who contemplate legalization do so from a position of frustration. More than two-thirds of the funds for the "war on drugs" are spent on law enforcement, less than one-third on education and treatment. The nation has taken the posture of "control reduction" rather than "demand reduction." As a nation the United States needs to concentrate on the demand side.

(2)

We must educate our people to the dangers of drugs as we have done with the harmfulness of tobacco. Recent studies by Cook and Harrell presented at the NIDA Conference on the Evaluation of Industrial Drug Programs in October, 1988 revealed that few companies with health promotion programs stress drug education. IBM Corporation stands as an outstanding exception. In the interest of full disclosure, I should state that I had the privilege of designing IBM's drug and alcohol educational program which is offered not only to all its employees, but also to their family

members throughout the country.

Substantive training programs are needed immediately throughout the nation. It seems unbelievable that schools of medicine, social work and pyschology rarely require a course in alcohol and drug addiction. Today, fewer schools of psychology require a course in drug addiction than in the 1950's. Even the Council on Social Work Education, the accrediting board for schools of social work, does not require a single course in addiction for Master of Social Work candidates.

All managers and supervisors need training in alcohol and drug abuse. This is the only sensible way for them to understand that drug abuse is right there in front of them (and they deny and cover up as much as the addicted employee).

We need EAPs that concentrate on reaching drug and alcohol abusing employees early. Companies have to reappraise their EAP contracts, place the emphasis upon alcohol and abuse cases, and require that only counseling staff with a minimum of two years' training in alcohol and drug abuse be involved in the EAP.

There must be new funds for meaningful treatment, especially for out-patient programs. At USDHHS we funded with Blue Cross the out-patient model of treating alcohol and drug addiction at the worksite. We used DHHS offices for counseling federal employees at night. Employees could continue to work during the day and there was no need for their co-workers to know they were being treated. The average length of treatment with this model was six months with stringent attendance requirements.

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