Why do American business leaders have to rethink how their companies address addiction, treatment and recovery in the workplace?  The Hazelden Foundation, sponsor of the "Making Recovery America's Business" campaign and 2003 Workplace Addiction Survey, notes that:

• Most people who abuse alcohol or illicit drugs are employed. 76 percent of illicit drug users are employed either full- or part-time.[1]  Of the nearly 43 million adult binge drinkers, 81 percent are employed either full- or part-time.[2]  Of the 12.4 million heavy drinkers, 80 percent are employed.[3]
  
  
• More than 60 percent of adults know someone who has reported for work under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.[4]
  
  
• All businesses, regardless of their size, at some point must confront alcohol or drug addiction of an employee. Substance abuse in the workplace creates problems such as increased absenteeism, on-the-job accidents, errors in judgment, legal expenses, medical insurance claims, and illness rates, and decreased productivity and employee morale.
  
  
• Alcohol and drug abuse cost American businesses an estimated $81 billion in lost productivity in just one year -- $37 billion due to premature death and $44 billion due to illness.[5]
  
  
• Alcoholism is estimated to cause 500 million lost workdays annually.[6]
  
  
• Individuals who are current illicit drug abusers are also more likely (12.9 percent) than those who are not (5 percent) to have skipped one or more workdays in the past month.[7]
  
  
• Results from a U.S. Postal Service study revealed that employees who tested positive in a pre-employment drug test are 66 percent more likely to be absent and 77 percent more likely to be discharged within three years than those who tested negative.[8]
  
  
• A workplace benefits substantially by addressing addiction in the workplace and getting treatment for employees who need it. Results include improved job performance, motivation, and morale, increased overall customer satisfaction.  In addition,[i] a commitment to alcohol and drug abuse treatment for employees in need helps reduce accidents, absenteeism, employee theft and fraud, insurance claims, and workers' compensation costs.
  
  
• Untreated addiction cost employers money. Numerous studies have shown that the resources required to support addiction treatment programs are well worth the investment.  For example, full parity for alcohol and drug treatment services in private health insurance plans that tightly manage care would increase family insurance premiums less than one percent.[9]
  
  
• Addiction treatment costs less than replacing an employee, especially for high-level professional employees. Replacing a professional employee can cost an employer up one to two times the person's annual salary (recruitment, advertising, reviewing applications, travel, relocation, HR staff time), not to mention the loss of company knowledge.

[1] Summary of Findings from the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.  DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 02-3758. Rockville, MD:  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2002.
[2] ibid.
[3] ibid.
[4] Addiction in the Workplace Survey. Center City, MN:  Hazelden Foundation, 1996.
[5] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Statistics Sourcebook. Rockville, MD:  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1995.
[6] Treatment Is the Answer:  A White Paper on the Cost-Effectiveness of Alcoholism and Drug Dependency Treatment. Laguna Hills, CA:  National Association of Treatment Providers, 1991.
[7] Worker Drug Use and Workplace Policies and Programs:  Results from the 1994 and 1997 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. Rockville, MD:  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1999.
[8] Maloney, J., Normand, J., and Salyards, S. An Evaluation of Pre-Employment Drug Testing.  Journal of Applied Psychology, 75(6), 1990.
[9] The Costs and Effects of Parity for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Insurance Benefits. Washington, DC:  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance and Mental Health Services Administration, 1998.