Survey: 1 in 12 U.S. workers admit using illicit drugs

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - One in 12 full-time workers in the United States acknowledges having used illegal drugs in the past month, the government reports.

Most of those who report using illicit drugs are employed full-time, with the highest rates among restaurant workers, 17.4 percent, and construction workers, 15.1 percent, according to a federal study being released Monday. About 4 percent of teachers and social service workers reported using illegal drugs in the past month, which was among the lowest rates.

Federal officials said the newest survey is a snapshot and was not designed to show whether illicit drug usage in the workplace is a growing problem or a lessening one. The current usage rate is 8.2 percent. Two previous government surveys reflected a usage rate of 7.6 percent in 1994 and 7.7 percent in 1997, but those studies involved a much smaller sample of interviews.

The latest study comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, an agency within the Health and Human Services Department. The data is drawn from the agency's annual surveys in 2002, 2003 and 2004 of the civilian, non-institutionalized population. Each survey included interviews with more than 40,000 people, who were each paid $30 to participate.

Joe Gfroerer, an agency official, said most of the illicit drug use involved marijuana.

Anne Skinstad, a researcher and clinical psychologist, called the survey's results "very worrisome" because there are fewer treatment programs than there used to be to assist employees and employers with a dependence on drugs.

However, testing programs for drug use are fairly prevalent, with 48.8 percent of full-time workers telling the government that their employers conducted testing for drug use.

"I used to train supervisors to detect chronic use and intervene as early as possible, and that is a very good, constructive way rather than firing people," said Skinstad, an associate professor and director of the Prairielands Addiction Technology Transfer Center at the University of Iowa. "Some employers want drug testing. I'm not sure that's the way I would like to go. What I think I would like to focus on is employee performance."

The study also showed that the prevalence of illegal drug use reported by full-time workers in the past month was highest among younger workers.

Nineteen percent of workers age 18 to 25 said they used illegal drugs during the past month, compared with 10.3 percent among those age 26 to 34; 7 percent among those age 35 to 49; and 2.6 percent among those age 50 to 64.

Men accounted for about two-thirds of the workers - 6.4 million - who reported using illegal drugs in the past month, the government said. Men were also more likely than women to report illegal drug use in the past month - 9.7 percent for men, versus 6.2 percent for women.

The study also looked at alcohol use by workers. About 10.1 million full-time workers, or 8.8 percent, reported heavy alcohol use. Heavy alcohol use was defined as drinking five or more drinks on one occasion at least five times in the past 30 days.

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles...uguse16-ON.html

[Ban Hammer 13,109]

Most of those who report using illicit drugs are employed full-time, with the highest rates among restaurant workers, 17.4 percent, and construction workers, 15.1 percent, according to a federal study being released Monday. About 4 percent of teachers and social service workers reported using illegal drugs in the past month, which was among the lowest rates.

so that's why they can't ever get my order right!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Our consumer driven culture encourages and nurtures self medication. It's just a matter of picking your poison....shopping until you drop, or shooting heroin...all variations of an addictive personality.

[kisschick1976 0]

Important part of that sentence is 1 in 12 admit That's not something some people would admit to freely.

Another lifetime ago, I used to hang out with the wrong crowd. Up all night partying in houses where drug deals were made 24 hrs a day. I met lawyers, local politicians, THE DOCTOR WHO 2 YEARS LATER PREFORMED A QUADUPLE BI-PASS SURGERY ON MY GRANDMOTHER , judges, business owners... you name it. Something tells me those people would be in the group that would NOT admit.

[peejay 327]

This doesn't surprise me at all.

When I first started working in the offshore oilfields of the Gulf of Mexico in the early 1980's dope smoking was a huge problem at that time. The oil companies would fly narcotics sniffing dogs out to the production platforms occassionally to root out narcotics use at the facility. They found weed out there often, but it was always stashed in public areas and couldn't be pinned on anyone. None of the dope smokers on my shift ever got busted this way.

The major oil companies got more sophisticated as time went on and eventually started screening people before they got onboard the helicopters or boats through full time narcotics sniffing dogs on location and random bag searches by private security guards. Only the big buck major oil companies have the cash to do this level of screening.

The smaller companies have been relying mostly on the whiz quiz (urine analysis) to nail dope smokers. The smaller companies started doing that back in the middle 1980's and it pretty much has weeded out the dope smokers. We all get periodically tested randomly by lottery. To work in the Federal offshore oil leases it is required by law to submit to drug testing.

Drug testing works. It is the standard in many dangerous and hazardous industries to keep the workplace drug free and safe.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

This doesn't surprise me at all.

When I first started working in the offshore oilfields of the Gulf of Mexico in the early 1980's dope smoking was a huge problem at that time. The oil companies would fly narcotics sniffing dogs out to the production platforms occassionally to root out narcotics use at the facility. They found weed out there often, but it was always stashed in public areas and couldn't be pinned on anyone. None of the dope smokers on my shift ever got busted this way.

The major oil companies got more sophisticated as time went on and eventually started screening people before they got onboard the helicopters or boats through full time narcotics sniffing dogs on location and random bag searches by private security guards. Only the big buck major oil companies have the cash to do this level of screening.

The smaller companies have been relying mostly on the whiz quiz (urine analysis) to nail dope smokers. The smaller companies started doing that back in the middle 1980's and it pretty much has weeded out the dope smokers. We all get periodically tested randomly by lottery. To work in the Federal offshore oil leases it is required by law to submit to drug testing.

Drug testing works. It is the standard in many dangerous and hazardous industries to keep the workplace drug free and safe.

What about people who smoke marijuana at home but not on the job?

[doodlebug 3]

This doesn't surprise me at all.

When I first started working in the offshore oilfields of the Gulf of Mexico in the early 1980's dope smoking was a huge problem at that time. The oil companies would fly narcotics sniffing dogs out to the production platforms occassionally to root out narcotics use at the facility. They found weed out there often, but it was always stashed in public areas and couldn't be pinned on anyone. None of the dope smokers on my shift ever got busted this way.

The major oil companies got more sophisticated as time went on and eventually started screening people before they got onboard the helicopters or boats through full time narcotics sniffing dogs on location and random bag searches by private security guards. Only the big buck major oil companies have the cash to do this level of screening.

The smaller companies have been relying mostly on the whiz quiz (urine analysis) to nail dope smokers. The smaller companies started doing that back in the middle 1980's and it pretty much has weeded out the dope smokers. We all get periodically tested randomly by lottery. To work in the Federal offshore oil leases it is required by law to submit to drug testing.

Drug testing works. It is the standard in many dangerous and hazardous industries to keep the workplace drug free and safe.

What about people who smoke marijuana at home but not on the job?

They can use the whizzinator!!!

[kisschick1976 0]

This doesn't surprise me at all.

When I first started working in the offshore oilfields of the Gulf of Mexico in the early 1980's dope smoking was a huge problem at that time. The oil companies would fly narcotics sniffing dogs out to the production platforms occassionally to root out narcotics use at the facility. They found weed out there often, but it was always stashed in public areas and couldn't be pinned on anyone. None of the dope smokers on my shift ever got busted this way.

The major oil companies got more sophisticated as time went on and eventually started screening people before they got onboard the helicopters or boats through full time narcotics sniffing dogs on location and random bag searches by private security guards. Only the big buck major oil companies have the cash to do this level of screening.

The smaller companies have been relying mostly on the whiz quiz (urine analysis) to nail dope smokers. The smaller companies started doing that back in the middle 1980's and it pretty much has weeded out the dope smokers. We all get periodically tested randomly by lottery. To work in the Federal offshore oil leases it is required by law to submit to drug testing.

Drug testing works. It is the standard in many dangerous and hazardous industries to keep the workplace drug free and safe.

What about people who smoke marijuana at home but not on the job?

They sell this stuff or other similar products in all the head shops

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

1 in 12 use drugs. How has our country not collapsed because of this?

[almaty 19]

that is no surprise to me...allot of companies due randoms and it is not a shock when 12 out of 30 test positive for a substance..including etoh////

if you smoke mj at home and test + then it is a + and there be consequences....

i also, due allot of DOT work and they have stricter requirements..but need too, due to public safety

[homesick_american 1]

Our consumer driven culture encourages and nurtures self medication. It's just a matter of picking your poison....shopping until you drop, or shooting heroin...all variations of an addictive personality.

You could move somewhere like North Korea or Zimbabwe which aren't consumer-driven cultures but you're staying right here. Easy to criticize from the relative plushness of the United States.

[homesick_american 1]

This doesn't surprise me at all.

When I first started working in the offshore oilfields of the Gulf of Mexico in the early 1980's dope smoking was a huge problem at that time. The oil companies would fly narcotics sniffing dogs out to the production platforms occassionally to root out narcotics use at the facility. They found weed out there often, but it was always stashed in public areas and couldn't be pinned on anyone. None of the dope smokers on my shift ever got busted this way.

The major oil companies got more sophisticated as time went on and eventually started screening people before they got onboard the helicopters or boats through full time narcotics sniffing dogs on location and random bag searches by private security guards. Only the big buck major oil companies have the cash to do this level of screening.

The smaller companies have been relying mostly on the whiz quiz (urine analysis) to nail dope smokers. The smaller companies started doing that back in the middle 1980's and it pretty much has weeded out the dope smokers. We all get periodically tested randomly by lottery. To work in the Federal offshore oil leases it is required by law to submit to drug testing.

Drug testing works. It is the standard in many dangerous and hazardous industries to keep the workplace drug free and safe.

A friend of mine from college is a petroleum engineer; he used to spend 2 weeks on/2 weeks off rigs in the Gulf and he was pee-tested constantly. He griped about it since he doesn't even drink beer but it's definitely necessary to keep things safer on rigs; those are pretty dangerous.

What about people who smoke marijuana at home but not on the job?

They're still breaking the law; pot's illegal. Oh well, too bad.

[Otto 83]

Yawn... Is this news to anyone?

[peejay 327]

This doesn't surprise me at all.

When I first started working in the offshore oilfields of the Gulf of Mexico in the early 1980's dope smoking was a huge problem at that time. The oil companies would fly narcotics sniffing dogs out to the production platforms occassionally to root out narcotics use at the facility. They found weed out there often, but it was always stashed in public areas and couldn't be pinned on anyone. None of the dope smokers on my shift ever got busted this way.

The major oil companies got more sophisticated as time went on and eventually started screening people before they got onboard the helicopters or boats through full time narcotics sniffing dogs on location and random bag searches by private security guards. Only the big buck major oil companies have the cash to do this level of screening.

The smaller companies have been relying mostly on the whiz quiz (urine analysis) to nail dope smokers. The smaller companies started doing that back in the middle 1980's and it pretty much has weeded out the dope smokers. We all get periodically tested randomly by lottery. To work in the Federal offshore oil leases it is required by law to submit to drug testing.

Drug testing works. It is the standard in many dangerous and hazardous industries to keep the workplace drug free and safe.

What about people who smoke marijuana at home but not on the job?

All of these companies that do random drug screens also have a substance abuse policy where an employee can come forward voluntarily for treatment without fear of job loss. If they get busted during a random whiz quiz or if they refuse to submit to testing they are terminated. They have to seek treatment before they get busted...not repent afterward.

So what about people that smoke weed only at home? They know the policy. We are required to read and sign acknowleging that we understand the policy. There are 3 choices: quit doing dope, quit your job, or take your chances.

Life is full of decisions and choices. You can play the game and make a good living...or you can smoke dope and choose a career at a menial job where they seek weak minds and a strong back at low wages.

[homesick_american 1]

All of these companies that do random drug screens also have a substance abuse policy where an employee can come forward voluntarily for treatment without fear of job loss. If they get busted during a random whiz quiz or if they refuse to submit to testing they are terminated. They have to seek treatment before they get busted...not repent afterward.

So what about people that smoke weed only at home? They know the policy. We are required to read and sign acknowleging that we understand the policy. There are 3 choices: quit doing dope, quit your job, or take your chances.

Life is full of decisions and choices. You can play the game and make a good living...or you can smoke dope and choose a career at a menial job where they seek weak minds and a strong back at low wages.

*applause*

Well said! :thumbs: