embargo: 00.01 Friday 21 December 2001

Attention: Economic, Political & Social Affairs correspondents


Drunk or disordered

TUC publishes guide to drugs and alcohol in the workplace

The TUC has today [Friday 21st] launched a guide to drugs and alcohol in the workplace and called on employers to develop workplace policies to:

· recognise that alcohol/drug misuse is a health problem

  • prevent drug/alcohol misuse by developing awareness programmes

· identify employees with a problem at an early stage

· provide assistance to employees with drug/alcohol related problems.

In one study conducted by the Confederation of British Industry (Managing Absence - in Sickness and in Health), drink and drug related problems were one of the commonest causes of sickness absence yet an Institute of Personnel Development (IPD) study shows that a large number of organisations (43%) do not have a drug and alcohol policy in place, and the vast majority (84%) do not run awareness programmes for staff.

TUC General Secretary John Monks said:

'Alcohol and drug misuse is a growing problem, which has the potential to rob people not only of their health, but their jobs, their self-respect, their families and their friends. It affects men and women, young and old. It can bring untold misery not only to the victims but also to others around them. Substance misuse is not just an individual problem but also a social problem with social causes and implications, many of which are associated with work.'

'Trade unionists should see that effective policies are pursued at work, both to prevent substance abuse and to help those who may have become dependent on alcohol or drugs. Employers have a duty of care to their employees under both employment and health and safety law. However, a good employer should not need to be threatened with the law. Investing in the health and welfare of employees is good for business and helps to ensure an effective and efficient workforce. The introduction of a comprehensive, planned drug and alcohol policy covering the whole of the workforce can have significant benefits for employers, employees with an alcohol or drug problem, as well as for their colleagues.'

Derek Mason, Co-ordinator of DrugScope and Alcohol Concern’s Drug and Alcohol Workplace Service said:

"Our recent survey of employers showed 27% reporting drug misuse as a problem affecting the workplace whilst 60% had experienced problems due to staff alcohol use. It is vital that employers be pro-active rather than waiting until a problem arises. The most effective way to do this is to develop fair and effective alcohol and drug policies which set clear boundaries and help staff if they do develop a problem . We hope the publication of the TUC's guide will help more employers develop more effective drug and alcohol policies in the future."

The report’s findings include:

· substance misusers can be a hazard to themselves and others in the workplace;

· the lifestyle imposed by a person’s job may greatly increase the risk of alcohol or drug abuse;

· stress may be a contributory factor; and

· if the problem is ignored, eventually the person’s job will be at risk.

Drugs

  • Recent estimates calculate that up to 40% of the workforce up to 40 years of age have experimented with illegal drugs, rising to 45% for those aged between 16 and 29.
  • The cost to industry of drug use has been estimated by some to be as much as £800 million per year.

Alcohol

  • Up to 14.8 million working days are lost each year as a consequence of drinking, constituting between 3% and 5% of all absences.
  • Sickness absence due to problem drinking was estimated as costing employers over £1 billion in 1992.

Notes to Editors:

All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

The Drug and Alcohol Workplace Service is a joint Alcohol Concern and DrugScope initiative funded by the Department of Health, which aims to increase the number of employers with an active and effective alcohol and drug policy. Further information on drugs and alcohol, how to deal with them in the workplace, and assistance in developing a workplace drugs and alcohol policy can be had from Drugscope 020 7928 1211 or www.drugscope.org.uk and Alcohol Concern 020 7928 7377 or www.alcoholconcern.org.uk.

The TUC guide ‘Drunk or disordered’ is available from TUC Publications 020 7467 1294 or www.tuc.org.uk/publications [ISBN 1 85006 616 7]

Contacts:

Media enquiries : 020 7467 1248 or email media@tuc.org.uk before Friday 21 December 2001 or after Wednesday January 3rd 2002

Sat 22, Sun 23, Mon 24 - Philip Taylor, pager 07699 744 115

Tues 25, Weds 26, Thus 27 - Nigel Stanley pager 07699 755 102

Fri 28, Sat 29, Sun 30, Mon 31, Tues 1 - Richard Darlington, pager 07654 589 780

Other enquiries: Tom Mellish, Health & Safety Policy Officer, TUC

020 7467 1323 or email tmellish@tuc.org.uk

Brendan Cox / Cara MacDowall, Press Officers,

DrugScope 020 7922 8607/9

www.drugscope.org.uk


Lee Lixenburg, Press Officer,

Alcohol Concern 020 7922 8669

www.alcoholconcern.org.uk

Press release (900 words) issued 21 Dec 2001

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printed 23 May 2012 at 08:35 hrs by 38.107.179.230