There are many ways employers can help employees who misuse or are addicted to drugs, and there is significant incentive for them to do so. Employee drug abuse costs companies billions of dollars annually in lost productivity, increases the risks of workplace accidents and violence, and greatly increases health care costs. Underscoring the seriousness of the problem, data show that the prevalence of substance abuse in the workplace is on the rise, so this is not a problem that if ignored will go away.

Drug abuse and addiction are not uncommon in the U.S. workplace, where an estimated 12.9 million employees either use illicit substances or use legal medicines illegally, while an indeterminable number of other employees taking legal drugs appropriately suffer often debilitating side effects. Employers can help treat worker drug issues—however acquired—by creating a comprehensive program that employees know about and feel safe using.

This issue of Workforce Strategies examines the nature and prevalence of substance abuse in the workplace and offers some expert advice on how employers can most effectively address it, including case studies of programs that have proven successful.