The Council on Alcohol and Drugs and Drugs Don't Work Celebrate Drug Free Work Week

ATLANTA, Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Drug-Free Work Week is a dedicated time each year to highlight the benefits that drug-free workplace programs bring to employers, workers and communities. This year, Drug Free Work Week will be recognized nationwide October 15 through the 20. It's a time to remind employers and employees to make every week a drug-free work week!

The Council on Alcohol and Drugs and the Drugs Don't Work program want to help companies recognize that drug-free workplace programs protect employers and employees alike from the potentially devastating consequences of worker alcohol or drug abuse. Establishing policies, educating about the dangers of alcohol and drug use, deterring and detecting use, and urging people to seek help for alcohol and drug problems are smart safety strategies. They're also smart business strategies. In Georgia, and many other states, companies that become certified as a drug free workplace receive state-mandated discounts on workers' compensation insurance. Many insurance companies also give a voluntary discount.

Drug Free Workplace programs help to:

• Prevent accidents and make workplaces safer
• Improve productivity and reduce costs
• Encourage people with alcohol and drug problems to seek help

According to recent research, it's a message that many workers need to hear.

• 77 percent of the nation's current illegal drug users are employed—and 3.1 percent say they have actually used illegal drugs before or during work hours.
• 79 percent of the nation's heavy alcohol users are employed—and 7.1 percent say they have actually consumed alcohol during the workday.

Drug-Free Work Week is a time to reinforce the importance of working drug free in positive, proactive ways. To get free Drug-Free Work Week resources and learn more about how your organization can qualify as a state certified drug free workplace, contact Steve Goodyear , director of the Drug Free Workplace and DOT Division at The Council on Alcohol and Drugs at (404) 223-2481, email Steve at sgoodyear@LiveDrugFree.org, or log on to the Council's website at: www.LiveDrugFree.org.

SOURCE The Council on Alcohol and Drugs

RELATED LINKS
http://www.livedrugfree.org