Start Planning Now For Drug-Free Work Week 2008, October 20-26

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. And, it’s a time to work toward making every week a drug-free work week!

It spreads the word that working drug free works 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.

• 75 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 workplace programs help 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.

Drug-Free Work Week is a time to reinforce the importance of working drug free in positive, proactive ways. To get Drug-Free Work Week resources or learn more about how your organization can participate, select one of the following:

• Drug-Free Work Week Tool Box
• Ideas for Individual Employers and their Employees
• Ideas for Associations and Unions