Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia with leaves that can have psychotropic properties. It is mostly consumed in pill or capsule form, while some people chew or smoke the leaves, brew the dried or powdered leaves as a tea, or eat the substance in food.

Some of the compounds of kratom are believed to interact with opioid receptors in the brain. While persons who use kratom in small amounts feel it energizes them, larger amounts can have a sedative effect.  The Mayo Clinic in the U.S. has labeled kratom unsafe and ineffective and can cause dependence especially in persons...

Tobacco-free workplaces protect all employees from the harms of secondhand smoke and can motivate persons who currently use tobacco to stop or decrease its use. Employers that take the steps to implement a tobacco-free policy can reduce the impacts to both employees and their business.

According to the World Health Organization, aside from the tragic impact of tobacco on global health, the total economic cost of smoking (from health expenditures and productivity losses together) are estimated to be around US$ 1.4 trillion per year, equivalent in magnitude to 1.8% of the world's annual...

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are important workplace programs geared to help employees address problems such as with alcohol or drugs.  The use or misuse of substances becomes an immediate occupational health and safety concern when an employee’s coordination, concentration, motor control, judgment, and alertness is impaired. When employees can get assistance with addressing the underlying issues, then their workplace performance and their behaviors are likely to improve.  Ignoring the matter can result in reduced productivity, decreasing health of the employee and ultimately, the...

Helping a friend or co-worker with a substance use problem is a hard thing to do. You don’t want to betray a friendship or cause their job in to be in jeopardy. Unfortunately, the truth is that your friend may be putting themselves or other co-workers in danger by the use of drugs or alcohol while at work.  Helping them get assistance before there is a crisis could be a truly kind and compassionate act.

Here are some steps to take to help your friend or co-worker get help:

Do not confront the worker directly

This action will typically only result in denial and anger...

Drug Free America Foundation is pleased to share our latest resource entitled, Substance Use and Mental Health: Implications for the Workplace.  

Co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders can have significant impacts on employees and the workplace.

Here are some of the program components that employers should consider: Both disorders can have a profound effect on a worker’s ability to remain focused on the job. For example, drugs and alcohol can alter the brain’s ability to function properly and can cause workplace accidents, absenteeism, and a reduction in...

We are pleased to share the resources from the recent webinar, Recovery and the Workplace held October 29, 2020.  

Monica Barzanti presented on the amazing long-term recovery and treatment programs at San Patrignano in Italy with the goal of returning persons affected by substance use to a productive life with education, job skills, and a job.  Ms. Barzanti relayed that for every Euro invested into their programs, there is a social return on investment (SROI) of 5.21 Euros.

Roberto Canay Mg. Ph.D. shared his presentation on the prevention and treatment programs being conducted...

Today we're sharing an article published in the U.S.-based, EHS Today online magazine addressing environmental health and safety in the workplace. The article was written by a pair of attorneys practicing environment health and safety law.

They said, "Recent reports show that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, drugs and alcohol abuse has skyrocketed and remains a significant occupational safety challenge for employers. Add to that the changing state laws regarding marijuana use, and it’s clear that employers need to act now to update their organizations’ drug policies."

READ THE...

Today, our final day of our Drug-Free Work Week campaign, the National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance shares a video about the importance of drug-free workplace education and training. Educating your employees on policies, procedures, and expectations of a drug-free workplace, along with training supervisors on the knowledge and skills needed, will positively encourage all workers' participation in a safe working environment.

Education and training are important tools for informing workers and managers about workplace hazards, so they can work more safely and be more productive. What...

In recognition of Drug-Free Work Week, the National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance collaborated with the International Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) to share information on the importance of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as part of a company's drug-free workplace program.

With the stress of the pandemic, many people have turned to drug and alcohol use to cope with its effects. As workplaces open and workers return to productivity, those drug and alcohol problems will also be present.  Having an EAP is a proactive measure that employers can offer employees...

In recognition of Drug-Free Work Week, the National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance will feature new themes each day.

Today, the National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance the workplace division of Drug Free America Foundation, is emphasizing the continued importance of drug-free workplace programs that place the safety and health of workers above all else. Here are some points to remember: 

• 9% of full-time workers are dependent on or abuse alcohol or drugs.
• Workplace drug use can lead to a drop in employee morale and productivity and an increase in abesnteeism and accidents.
• A...

In recognition of Drug-Free Work Week, the National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance will feature new themes each day spotlighting one of our collaborators.

Today, the National Drug Free Workplace Alliance and National Drug Screening are emphasizing the ongoing importance of drug testing in the workplace. Drug testing protects the health and safety of all employees as well as the productivity of the workforce. Here are some points to remember:

o  OSHA requires that employers provide workplaces that are free from hazards, that includes the being under the influence of drugs and alcohol...

In recognition of Drug-Free Work Week, the National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance celebrated with drug-free workplace themes each day.

Today, the National Drug Free Workplace Alliance and Drug Free Business are emphasizing the ongoing importance of drug-free workplace programs to businesses, especially in these trying times. It is essential that employers provide a strong message to all workers that drugs negatively impact workers' productivity and the company's bottom line. Here are some points to remember:

o  People with substance use disorders may be particularly susceptible...

When an accident occurs, time is of the essence.  Post-accident testing is generally handled exactly like the reasonable suspicion testing, except there may have been serious injuries resulting from the accident that created the need for prompt action. Remember that seeking medical help for your employee is your number one responsibility at the time of an accident.

The best time to prepare for a post-accident situation is before it happens.  Ensuring that procedures are written and staff know their respective responsibilities in advance of an accident is paramount.  Key managers and...

Based on the contents of a company’s drug-free workplace (DFWP) policy it is important to clearly identify a supervisor’s responsibilities.

It is a supervisor’s responsibility to:

o  Maintain a safe, secure and productive environment for employees

o  Evaluate and discuss performance with employees

o  Treat all employees fairly

o  Act in a way that does not demean or label people

It is not a supervisor’s responsibility to:

o  Diagnose drug and alcohol problems

o  Have all the answers

o  Provide counseling or therapy

o  Be a police officer

Ide...

Recovery and the Workplace

Live Webinar!

Thursday October 29th, 2020 at 8:00 AM EDT (UTC -4)

Calling All Workplace Stakeholders!

Recovery and the Workplace Webinar Summary:

We are excited to share with you presentations from two unique international programs of recovery and return to working productivity: San Patrignano, a recovery community in Italy, and Obra Social Ferroviaria, railway workers' health service of Argentina.

San Patrignano:

San Patrignano does not consider drug addiction as a chronic disease, although recognizing that is a recurring one...

A recent article from Northern Ireland’s online magazine, BusinessFirst, described some strategies for employers that are affected by persons with substance use disorders that cannot maintain an appropriate work ethic or demeanor.  The article describes the next steps for employers to take charge to help the employee access counseling or treatment to address his work-life productivity.

The steps are to:

• Investigate and document the employee’s behavior
• Get educated on the issues of drug addiction
• Communicate with the employee about the documented observations
• Prepare...

We are sharing a recent paper by Dr. Roberto Canay Mg. PhD., an esteemed ISSUP colleague from Argentina, examining health, work, and prevention in the Argentine context.  He outlines some of the history of work, the growing importance of physical and mental health in the working environment, the effects of alcohol and other drugs, and preventive strategies and approaches that are needed in the workplace.

Dr. Canay summarizes with the statement, “It is crucial to develop comprehensive strategies to provide benefits to workers, companies, families and the community in general.”

 ...

Supervisors should understand their specific responsibilities for initiating and carrying out the drug-free workplace policy and program. Here are some of the key functions:

Know the Organization's Policy and Program

It is extremely important for a supervisor to know and understand the company drug-free workplace policy and to clearly communicate and interpret its provisions to staff members. Alongside the policy are other program components which may include drug and alcohol testing, awareness education, supervisory training, resources for assistance, and more depending upon...