DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE PROGRAM PROMOTED TO CHAMBER

HIGH POINT -- Drugs don't work in High Point, so the High Point
Chamber of Commerce hopes its program to reduce drug abuse in the
workplace does.

Linda Hollis, who coordinates the "Drugs Don't Work in High Point"
program for the chamber, said the goal is to encourage people to get
off drugs and be productive workers.

"We are providing this service to help people," Hollis
said.

The program began in 1994, but wasn't a top priority for many
employers because of the cost. Last year, the chamber decided to start
offering the program at a reduced rate to chamber members; more than
50 companies are now involved.

"We'd like to see 100 percent involvement eventually, but we are happy
to have more companies involved now," Hollis said.

There are about 1,200 chamber members, but many are small companies
with staffs of fewer than five and are less apt to enroll in the
program, she said.

The program offers drug testing, training to spot and prevent
substance abuse and a separate component that provides employee
counseling. Costs vary.

Michael Ryan, a senior banking executive with Bank of America in High
Point and the outgoing chair of the Drugs Don't Work program, said the
program wasn't greeted with open arms by all at first. Some employers
thought they couldn't afford the drug testing requirements, he said.
Others thought they couldn't afford to lose a large number of their
work force if they did test for drugs.

With the low unemployment rate and the need for workers, more workers
who abuse drugs are likely to be hired, Ryan said. That means smaller
companies desperate to find workers thought they would be hurt by
being more selective.

But he said that employers once reluctant to subscribe to the program
now find it an invaluable resource. Drug-free workplaces save injuries
and lives and increase productivity, he said.

Kathy Proctor, director of human resources with furniture manufacturer
Carson's Inc., said the company has required pre-employment drug
testing since 1988. It joined the chamber program three years ago.

"I'm amazed at the statistics of companies that still don't do drug
testing. It's a real safety issue in many ways," Proctor said.

Drug use also can be the symptom of grave emotional problems. Anthony
Newkirk, a counselor at High Point Behavioral Health, said that
treating emotional problems is just as important, if not more so, than
treating the addiction. People who can't deal with stress naturally
can be drawn to the mental escape offered by drugs. But mood-altering
substances can promote irrational and explosive behavior, he said.

The chamber program offers reduced rates on counseling provided by
High Point Behavioral Health at 601 N. Elm Street as well. But anyone,
including couples in need of counseling, parents and people coping
with work-related stress can use the free referral service.