Last updated : December 23, 2024
Quite often, people refer to the war that the United States is currently fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan as the longest war in US history. However, this is not exactly the case. The truth of the matter is that the United States has been fighting an ongoing war against a threat that affects them at home. That is the war on drugs. For the better part of the 20th century, and for all of the 21st century, United States governmental agencies have focused trillions of dollars fighting to keep drugs off the street.
However, the results of this war on drugs are mixed, to say the least. Although the vast majority of illicit drugs, with the exception of marijuana in some states, are illegal, this has done very little to stem the tide of drug use and drug distribution throughout the country. Many would argue that the effect of the war on drugs has been counterproductive. Aside from removing drugs from the street, this war on drugs has increased the amount that people are forced to pay for drugs, increased the violence used by gangs and drug lords to protect their territory, and has increased the amount of individuals who are incarcerated thanks to drug related offenses. This is true for every state in the country. It does not matter if you live in Minnesota, Denver South Dakota, or any other place, the effects are the same.
Drug Abuse in the Workplace
One of the major places that we have seen the negative effects of drug use in this country is in the workplace. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the vast majority, nearly 75% of illegal drug users are employed. Research shows that many of these individuals will go on drug binges or alcohol binges.As a result of drug use, these employees are:
- More likely to arrive at work late or call in sick to work.
- It is likely that they are going to be less productive than their non-drug using counterparts.
- More inclined to be involved in an accident at the workplace.
- More likely to file for workman’s compensation.
It is estimated that annually, businesses in Canada lose more than $39 billion a year because of their employee’s addiction to drugs. The productivity loss, the health care expenses, the legal fees, cost of police involvement, and other situations that directly or indirectly relate to the drug abuse of their employees is taking a financial toll on businesses in Canada and around the world.According to reports published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the United States economy loses hundreds of billions of dollars every single year in increased health cost, crime, and loss of productivity because of workers who are addicted to drugs.A cost of that is often overlooked to businesses in connection with employee drug abuse is the price of replacing a worker. Often times, it costs 25% to 200% of an employee’s yearly salary to replace them with someone new. When you hire a new individual, there is that six months to one year where they are becoming acclimated to the job. During this time, their productivity will be slower. All of this takes a toll on a business’s bottom line. It is this cost that has encouraged many businesses to start looking into the services provided by USA Mobile Drug Testing.
Options That Exist for Businesses
As we have already mentioned, the United States government has tried with limited success to reduce drug use among its population. Businesses, therefore, must take it upon themselves to see to it that their employees are drug free. The best way for them to do this is by implementing drug testing programs.
USA Mobile Drug Testing is a company that specializes in doing drug testing. Our goal is to work in conjunction with business owners to help identify any employees who might to be abusing illicit drugs. As was mentioned throughout this article, the financial toll that employee drug abuse is taking on companies in the United States and abroad is astronomical. It is unrealistic for employers to think that government programs will be effective in reducing employee drug use.
