DRUG ABUSE FOUND IN 1 OF 12 WORKERS

Company Test Policies Make a Big Difference, Federal Study Says

WASHINGTON - Nearly one in 12 of America's full-time workers - more
than 10 million people - have illicit drug or alcohol abuse problems
serious enough to require treatment, according to a government report
being released today.

It found that 9.4 million illicit drug users and 10.1 million heavy
drinkers have full-time jobs.

Construction workers, food service employees and people who work in
mining and similar jobs head the list. But even corporate CEOs have a
problem: 7.9 percent describe being alcohol-dependent.

"What this says is that are a lot of us in the work force who are
already in trouble," said Bob Stevenson, head of workplace programs
of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration,
which is releasing the study.

The report says workers required to undergo drug testing - either as
a condition of employment or in the workplace - were significantly
less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol.

"I'll go ahead and say it: More employers are testing for drug and
alcohol abuse, and if you are a small-business owner and you don't
have a drug-free-workplace program, you may become a magnet for a lot
of illicit drug users looking for work," Stevenson said.

But he said employers also need to provide benefits such as education
and treatment.

Rates in South

The study found that the rate of drug-abusing workers was lower in
the South, 7.6 percent, than the national average of 8.2 percent.
Likewise, the Southern rate of workers who were heavy drinkers was
8.5 percent, below the 8.8 percent national average.