Drug Abusers and Small Businessess

Drug use in the United States is at an alarming pace, and this is being felt in no greater place than the
While substance abuse is a valid concern for businesses of any size, smaller businesses are at a of drug abusers damaging or completely destroying the company.

As far as American employees go as a whole, about half work at large corporations and the other half work at small business. The landscape shifts dramatically when looking at drug users.

1: Smaller businesses often do not require new employees to during the hiring process. Drug users have a better chance of ‘slipping through’ to jobs than at a larger corporation.
2: Small businesses often do not have an .
3. Owners of smaller businesses often have a with their employees than larger business owners. This creates a more difficult and complex situation when dealing with a drug abusing employee. Small business owners are more likely to turn a blind eye to drug abuse and give more ‘second chances’ than owners of larger companies

- Drug users are more likely to miss work, be less productive, and be less focused. While the cost of these actions is difficult to quantify, it can add up to lots of dollars down the drain.
-. An unproductive employee may mishandle customer requests, needs, and complaints, causing disgruntled customers to take their business elsewhere. A small company most likely cannot absorb losing customers as easily nor can attract customers as quickly as a larger company. These losses can greatly impact the bottom line.
- Smaller businesses pockets are not as deep as larger corporations. If an impaired employee causes an accident or injury, the resulting lawsuits, workers comp claims, and property damage could devastate a small business much faster than a large corporation.
-. Employees of small businesses work closely together, and a drug abusing employee can strangle the productivity. Knowing other employees are abusing drugs can bring down morale. Workers may also have to redo work or cover for a drug abusing co-worker. The top producing employees may become disgruntled by the drug abusers performance to the point that they may leave the company.

 

Implement drug screening as part of the pre-employment screening process. A good portion of drug testing is relatively low-cost. This step can bring about a high level of benefit by screening out drug abusers BEFORE they are hired.
Check out OSHA’s website. There are lots of free tools and resources available to create a drug free workplace.
It’s advisable to have a written plan of how and on what occasions your company screens for drugs, and the actions that will be taken if an employee has drugs in their system. Stay consistent with that plan.
These 3 steps are to the company and a good starting point to and expense of employing drug abusers.

Having a program in place can play a vital role in increasing productivity, minimizing accidents, decreasing theft, and improving safety and attendance. And, for small companies, this can be the difference in thriving or going out of business.

Drug Abuse – A Threat to Society

Drug abuse is the type of problem that affects more that the person who is abusing the drug. It is a far-reaching issue that has stretched out to families around the country. There are many different threats in states like Colorado caused it. Between the years of 1996 and 2000 Denver police offers made twice the national average of arrests due to drug abuse. This is a problem that cannot be ignored.

People in this category find themselves addicted to either illicit drugs or prescription medications. There are drugs in both categories that are highly addictive. Drug use is chronic or done on a regular basis which leads to the addiction. Side effects can cause lasting damage to the body of the abuser.

Our society suffers as many as 527,000 visits each year because of drug abuse. Families and businesses in Colorado have been destroyed because of the abuse of drugs. This is one of the reasons that drug testing has become so critical in the hiring process. Understanding the threats of drugs is very important, in providing users with practical deterrents.

Alcohol is one of the most common drugs abused in the entire state of Colorado. It is the drug of choice for most teens that are addicted. Drunk drivers are responsible for the physical harm and death of thousands every year. The threat that these drivers provide affects everyone that is on the road with them.

 

Businesses that hire people who suffer from drug abuse often feel the effects. They, in some case, experience damaged reputations as a result of these employees. In other cases, the damage may cause a reduction in profits for the business. Construction workers and food service workers are some of the top fields of drug abusers in the workplace.

 

Drug abuse is responsible for many of the health concerns that users experience. The Rocky Mountain Poison and Control Center, in Colorado, reports that cocaine is a serious problem in the state. It is responsible for the most emergency room visits, drug-related discharges, and mortality rates per 100,000 of the population. Medication costs for drug users tend to be 2 times that of a normal person. Drug abuse continues to make The War on Drugs relevant in this state. The ages of drug users is getting younger and younger. The average age that most users begin is 12.

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The Facts About Drug Abuse Intervention

Drug Abuse Intervention Objective

The main objective of an intervention is to get the abuser to face the bare facts but in a non-confronting manner. The abuser needs to feel the seriousness of his choices but he also needs to see things in a clear and concise forum. The interventions are usually headed by a specialist who guides the conversation where it needs to go.

The fact is that a drug abuser is usually blind to the effects that he has on other people. He may use friends as a point of comparison and feel that his problems are much less than that of his fellow abusers. Drug abusers begin to make the wrong choices and their relationships with family and friends begin to fall apart. They start making choices that affect them financially and can even land them in a lot of trouble.

 

With the assistance of a well put together drug abuse intervention, the drug abuser is able to sit back and take a look at his addiction though his family and friends’ eyes. The decision to hold a drug abuse intervention can be a painful one but it is less painful than watching a loved one being controlled by a substance without facing his own life reality. Many loved ones do not want to force their addicted member to lose control or feel as if they are being attacked but it is very important for the addict to see what he is doing to those close to him.

The intervention, if planned properly, will lead the addict out of the despair and onto the road of recovery. The intervention may feel like a failure in the beginning if the addict decides to refuse treatment but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and the drug abuser may decide to take the treatment later after the initial pain has worn off.Intervention does break though; it just takes a little time for the drug addict to respond. Drug abusers are not always thinking properly and when they have time to digest what has just happened to them, they usually come around and seek out the care they need to quit and start on the road to recovery.

By performing a drug abuse intervention, the addict gets the assistance of an abuse counselor who is trained in this form of confrontation. Each individual requires a different approach and with the right help, the addict is well on his way to recovery.

Once the intervention is planned, the interventionist makes sure that complete treatment for the addict is all set up and ready to begin. An intervention is sometimes a way to get the drug abusers or alcoholics to open their eyes before they actually hit the bottom and destroy their lives completely. Drug abuse interventions are a real motivational tool to get drug addicts the help they need.