ONE IN FIVE WORKERS USING DRUGS - STUDY

Almost one in five Australian workers are using illegal drugs, with
more than 250,000 people engaging in substance abuse at their place
of employment, research shows. A study of 30,000 Australians has
found that 17 per cent use illegal substances, mainly cannabis,
followed by amphetamines, ecstasy, pain killers and cocaine.

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News Limited newspapers report that a breakdown of the research by
industry shows that 31 per cent of people in hospitality have
admitted to using drugs outside of work hours.

Construction workers were the second heaviest users at 24.1 per cent,
followed by those in retail with 20.7.

The research, completed in 2004 by the National Centre for Education
and Training on Addiction at Melbourne's Flinders University, also
found more than 250,000 people used illegal drugs while at work.

Hospitality workers again were the biggest offenders, with 7.7 per
cent of those in the industry admitting to being under the influence at work.

This was followed by the construction industry, with 4.2 per cent and
then transport workers at 3.2 per cent.

The study's co-author, Dr Ken Pidd, said the use of drugs was a
common contributor to accidents in the workplace.

"We estimate between three and 11 per cent of accidents are related
to workplace drug and alcohol use," he told News Ltd.