Drug and alcohol abuse: a Canadian perspective

Although substance abuse does represent a serious problem in Canadian workplaces, data collected by the Addiction Research Foundation, the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission and Health and Welfare Canada do not support the perception that it has become worse in the past 5 years. Moreover, the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Canadian business review 1992-06, Vol.19 (2), p.17
Main Author: Cunningham, B.H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcohol
Alcoholism
Canada
Cocaine
Corporations
Drug & alcohol use
Drug abuse
Drug addiction
Drug testing
Drug use
Employee problems
Employees
Health aspects
Mandatory drug testing
Organized crime
Prevention
Problem solving
Substance abuse
Urine
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Summary:Although substance abuse does represent a serious problem in Canadian workplaces, data collected by the Addiction Research Foundation, the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission and Health and Welfare Canada do not support the perception that it has become worse in the past 5 years. Moreover, the data indicate that the abuse of alcohol is a much larger problem than all other drugs combined. Substance abuse is a chronic rather than a crisis situation. As such, employers should look for long-term rather than quick-fix solutions. The best long-term results are obtained when both labor and management work together to identify and solve problems facing their particular workplace. A good place to start is with the development of an overall policy on substance abuse, including alcohol and medications. A comprehensive approach will also include health and safety education for employees regarding all drug substances. The costs of drug testing in Canada might outweigh any gains achieved.
ISSN:0317-4026