Employers are challenged on a daily basis to create safe, healthy and effective work environments, and evaluating current substance abuse policies can help. The stats regarding substance abuse are alarming. Workplace positive drug test rates hit a two-decade high, according to data released by the Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index (DTI). A study conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has shown that 2020 deaths related to alcohol were up by 25 percent over the previous year and, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drug overdoses in 2021 reached the highest level on record. The popularity of marijuana use continues to increase as laws expand across the country relating to recreational and medicinal use. Employers should also be aware that the Department of Justice has issued guidance for employers on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the nation’s opioid crisis.
