Addressing Drug and Alcohol Use in the Workplace

In exploring drug and alcohol use in the workplace, it is necessary to acknowledge that theoretical and terminological complexities abound. From a theoretical point of view, how a social issue is defined and, indeed, what counts or does not count as a social issue can change over time and across cultures. Accordingly, what constitutes a drug, a legal or illegal substance and what is problematic use of these has been subject to revisions over the centuries. This often reflects who has the power to make a particular issue seem important and particular definitions stick. Complexities arise with words like ‘drugs’ or ‘substances’, because they assume a homogeneity that does not exist. Drugs and alcohol vary so considerably in their nature and effects that to talk about ‘drugs’ or ‘substances’ in a generic way becomes itself problematic. While not minimizing the importance of theoretical and terminological clarity, this chapter proceeds on the assumption that enough common understanding exists about what does or does not count as a ‘drug’ and about what might count as a problem to make a generic exploration of alcohol and drugs in the workplace meaningful. This chapter therefore explores research in relation to the frequency and distribution of alcohol and drug use by employees, the issues that might arise in the workplace as a result of such use, and the policy and practical issues that arise for employers in relation to promoting well-being.