Handling addiction in the workplace can be a tricky task

Addiction, no matter what form it comes in, can be a damaging affair. With the average person spending a third of their life at work, handling these issues in the workplace can be effective.

Drug and alcohol use will always be prevalent in any circumstance. This is why knowing how to handle these matters in the workplace can be beneficial.

In 2019, the government conducted the National Drug Strategy Household Survey, giving us some insight into the proportion of drug and alcohol usage across the country.

Some of the most grabbing findings of the survey were:

• In 2019, around 3.4 million Australians reported using an illicit drug in the last 12 months.
• In 2019, the most common illicit drug was cannabis, followed by ecstasy, misuse of pharmaceuticals, and then cocaine.
• While overall use of methamphetamine has decreased, the use of crystal methamphetamine (ice) continues to be a problem.
• People who are using crystal methamphetamine (ice) are using it more frequently, which increases the risks and harms.
• While people aged 20–29 are still the most likely to use illicit substances, a greater proportion of older people are misusing pharmaceuticals and illicit substances than in previous years.

While more older people are abusing substances than in previous years, young people have actually seen a decline. Despite this, according to AddictionHelp.com, around 2,600,000 Australians had an addiction to drugs or alcohol in 2020. This number is up from 2,100,000 in 2017, an increase of 25 per cent.

Compounding these statistics is a rising number of women abusing substances. Young women aged between 18 and 24 are drinking and taking drugs at larger rates than ever before.

It’s reported that young women, for the first time in recording history, are using illicit substances at the same rate as young men. Over the past year, 35 per cent of young women have taken an illicit substance, up from 27 per cent in 2019.

Dr Gabrielle Phillips from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) commented: “Males have historically been more likely to use illicit drugs than females; however, 2022–2023 was the first time since monitoring began that females aged 18–24 were as likely to use illicit drugs as males of the same age.”

It is unclear what’s driving the increase. One thing is clear, though: these trends are prevalent, and lines of dialogue should be maintained to avoid any issues.

Employers have a duty of care to provide a safe workplace, and according to WorkSafe Victoria, “alcohol and other drug use (including prescription and illegal drugs), whether it occurs in or away from the workplace, may become an occupational health and safety issue if an employee’s ability to exercise judgement, coordination, motor control, concentration and alertness at work is impaired.”

If left unaddressed, employees may put themselves and others at risk. This is where having an alcohol and drugs policy can assist and help lay out clear guidelines for employee substance use.

This can be achieved through a risk management plan. WorkSafe noted that this could involve:

• Identifying hazards associated with alcohol and drug use in the workplace.
• Assessing the risk.
• Controlling the risks associated with the use of alcohol and other drugs.
• Reviewing the effectiveness of control measures to ensure they are working as planned and, when necessary, revising and improving existing controls.

Despite the dangers that substance abuse can bring to the workplace, often there can be factors influencing this behaviour. If an employee is witnessed to be struggling with addiction, rather than reprimanding them, having a discussion to establish the root of the problem may be necessary.

Someone may be going through tough times at home, they could be overworked and stressed, or they could be dealing with trauma that may otherwise be unnoticeable.

Providing a safe space and upholding that through support, education, and training can be beneficial to employee wellbeing and mitigating these issues.