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Substance Abuse in the Workplace

NCJ Number
107828
Editor(s)
D E Smith, D R Wesson, E L Zerkin, J H Novey
Date Published
1984
Length
75 pages
Annotation
Eight papers presented at a conference on substance abuse in the workplace held in Washington, D.C., on December 7-8, 1983, address identification, intervention, treatment, and prevention; problems in mass urine screening for employee drug use; security planning to counter workplace drug abuse; and elements of a model employee assistance program.
Abstract
Following an editors' overview of substance abuse in the workplace, a paper discusses patterns of substance abuse in industry and reviews the nature of drug abuse intervention, treatment, and rehabilitation. A paper on analytical drug-screening technology focuses on the enzyme multiplied immunoassay test (EMIT), which is a urine screening test done on site by persons not primarily trained as laboratory technicians. The paper concludes that EMIT has consistently failed field condition analysis. A third paper suggests steps employers can take to limit legal challenges to workplace drug detection and prevention programs. Two papers detail steps by security personnel in developing a system to counter substance abuse in the workplace, and another paper proposes an approach that encompasses company policy, security, and treatment in dealing with employee drug abuse problems. The other two papers describe essential elements of a model employee assistance program and work-based drug programs. References and notes for each paper and appended dates for significant events in the evolution of employee assistance programs.