Running head: SOBER WORKPLACE
Sober Workplace
Contemporary Social Problems and the Workplace
Sober Workplace
Over the years our country has been plagued with the increasing problem of substance abuse. Substance abuse has its presence in all cities, religions, economic classes, and nationalities of people. The problem of substance abuse is not only an issue of the users but more commonly is becoming a large dilemma in the workplace. I have worked in medical offices for eight years and have had first hand observation with substance abuse with patients as well as co-workers. Being so closely exposed to substance abuse has made me realize that our society has a significant struggle ahead to overcome this problem. To better improve our workplaces against substance abuse to create a sober work environment, the implementations of policies and procedures, education and training of drugs and their effects, and drug testing with employee assistant programs are needed If small and large companies practiced these actions the workforce could see a decrease in substance abuse with its employees.
Substance abuse is the unsafe use of any mind altering material, which usually has the tendency to cause an addiction to it, such as illegal and prescription drugs or alcohol. The general public is more familiar with substance abuse being referred to as the addiction to most common illegal or illicit drugs. These drugs primarily consist of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, LSD, and inhalants. In a recent study from National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008), in 2007 the rate of current illicit drug use among persons 12 or older was 8%. Prescription drugs are less familiar to society as substances that are abused, but according to Laxmaiah Manchikanti, MD(2007) in 2006 nonmedical use of psychotherapeutic drugs was 6.2% in the population of 12 years or older with 15.172 million persons, second only to marijuana use and three times the use of cocaine. The...