Drugs in the UK

•	The UK now officially has the worst drug problem in Europe
•	We have more teenage cannabis users than Holland
•	There are over 4 million cannabis users in the UK and rising
•	The government are now re-considering their reclassification of cannabis to a class C drug due to recent scientific proof that cannabis causes far reaching mental and physical health problems
•	The average age of first drug use is 13
•	The incidence of drug use in young people has doubled since the 1990’s
•	49% of 17-19 year olds admitted to using illegal drugs
•	Over 2 million "E’s" are taken every week in the UK alone
•	The "ecstasy" generation are now our employees
•	The role of the traditional "drug pusher" has changed to that of a "dealer" – demand outweighs supply
•	There are now "dial-a-gram" cocaine telephone delivery services freely available in most of the UK’s largest cities
•	Drugs are now bought/sold over the internet
•	A line of cocaine cheaper than a cup of espresso and is commonly used in a similar way to caffeine
•	Cocaine use – now an accepted middle class culture?
•	The average heroin addict spends £24,000 pa feeding their habit
•	The drug addict profile has drastically changed
•	There are 40,000 registered heroin addicts in the UK, but up to as many as 240,000 regular users
•	The UK is now the heroin capital of Europe
•	25% of registered drug addicts are in full time employment
•	The IPD’s recent findings indicate that up to 21% of the workforce may be using drugs
•	1 in 50 people in the UK are addicted to drugs
•	Of the illicit drug users interviewed by the IPD, aged 18 or older in 2002, 74.6 percent were employed either full or part time
•	Non/Prescription Drugs (Pain killers / Analgesics; Cough medicines and formulas; Sleeping tablets; Anti-depressants; Anti-inflammatory / Muscle relaxants; Heroin "substitutes" [Methadone, Subutex etc]) are also regularly abused in the UK and can seriously effect performance

Alcohol

•	MORI poll found that 78% of people worried about alcohol related problems
•	Cabinet’s office reported that Alcohol fuelled: - 1 million fights per year - 19,000 sexual assaults - 360,000 cases of domestic violence
•	1 in 25 people in the UK are dependant on alcohol
•	15% of drink drive convictions are ‘morning after’
•	A survey by Alcohol Concern and the TUC suggests that one in four accidents are caused and around 40 million working hours lost through alcohol misuse
•	A research document published by the Health Education Authority showed that 90% of the Personnel Directors of large UK organizations surveyed considered that alcohol consumption was a problem for their organization

Binge Drinking

•	Binge drinking is defined as drinking 8 or more units (for men) and 6 or more units (for women) in any one session
•	To avoid health risks associated with the drug Alcohol, the Dept. of Health defines moderate drinking as 2 units per day (for women) and 3 units per day (for men)
•	In 2003 - binge drinking accounted for 40% of all drinking among men and 22% by women in the UK – these figures are rising
•	In 2003 - 5.9 million people drank more than twice the recommended daily guidelines on some occasion – these figures are also rising.
•	Extreme binge drinking seems to be socially accepted behaviour

Law

•	It is an offence for employees to carry out, and for employers to allow employees to carry out, safety critical work while under the influence of drugs or alcohol (Transport & Works Act 1992 section 27)
•	The Employer have a defence to prosecution if they can show ‘due diligence’ to prevent an employee committing an offence (Transport & Works Act 1992 section 28)
•	To ‘fail’ a test includes refusal to take it (Transport & Works Act 1992 section 38)
•	Transport & Works Act 1992 prescribes limits for alcohol to be same as Road Traffic Act
•	HSE guidance: ‘due diligence’ requirement can be satisfied by a robust drugs and alcohol policy, including education and training, support for those seeking rehabilitation, screening procedures (pre-employment and for-cause)
•	If the employer shows due diligence, then the employee could be guilty of an offence
•	Employers have a general duty under the Health And Safety At Work Act to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees
•	Employers also have a duty under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations to assess the risks to the health and safety of employees
•	If the employer knowingly allows an employee under the influence of drugs to continue working and his/her behaviour places himself/herself or other employees at risk, then the employer could be prosecuted
•	Employers also have a duty to third parties under Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. This states that employers must conduct their employees in a way which ensures, so far as is reasonably practicable, that people who are affected by the operation of those employees are not exposed to health and safety risks
•	There is a potential criminal liability for all employers who knowingly allow or at the very least tolerate, the use of controlled drugs on company premises under the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1971

Cost of Abuse

•	Alcohol is estimated to cause up to 5% of all absences from work
•	Up to 14 million working days lost each year through alcohol misuse alone
•	Drugs and Alcohol are estimated to be a contributory factor in 25% of all workplace accidents
•	Alcohol implicated in 60% of UK workplace fatalities
•	Substance misuse can result in reduced company performance and decline in profitability
•	Reduction in internal morale and customer confidence
•	It has been calculated that a substance abuser costs their employer over £8000 pa
•	Lower risk - better insurance premiums or cover availability

Against Human Rights ..?

•	In a recent Guardian survey, 76% of employees interviewed, said that they would prefer to work for an employer who maintained a robust Drugs and Alcohol policy
•	Case law has decreed that an individuals rights can be superseded where the safety of others is an issue, therefore the privilege of individual rights ends where public peril begins (Lord Donaldson 1992)

Ask Yourself ......

•	How many organisations are you aware of that pro-actively manage out Drugs & Alcohol abuse?
•	What elements of their policy are most effective in the management of Drugs & Alcohol abuse?
•	What parts of your organisation do you consider to be affected by Drugs & Alcohol abuse?
•	Do you think your organisation could function better if you introduced or took your Drugs & Alcohol policy to the next level?

In Conclusion

•	With the wealth of statistics indicating drugs is a problem in our society, it seems illogical and costly for employers to think that drug and alcohol abuse stops at the employer's gates
•	A policy should be introduced and it should be embraced and implemented by the employer
•	The policy should clearly indicate to employees the employer's stance on drugs and alcohol abuse in the workplace and to be effective, such policies should include an element of screening (Pre-employment, Un-announced & For-cause), training and education

How much is this ever increasing epidemic costing your organisation? Act now, before it’s too late! In the first instance contact ScreenSafe UK Ltd by phone on 08450 505590 or by email at enquiries@screensafeuk.co.uk to arrange an unbiased and professional discussion on the benefits, to both the employer and the employee, of introducing and maintaining a robust Drugs and Alcohol policy.