Employees getting high can lead to lower profits

When asked the question, "Have you ever smoked marijuana?" in the 1992 election, Bill Clinton's weak answer, "Yes, I tried it but I never inhaled," became an instant punchline that has now slipped into the vernacular.

When the same questions arose in the 2000 election, the candidates chose to be more candid, and both Al Gore and now-President George Bush admitted to past drug use.

Will this seeming social and political acceptance of illegal drug use have a trickle down effect in the world of business?

Only time will tell, but it is clear that the time is nigh for employers to arm themselves with the facts about drug use in the workplace. Here are a few of the books and Web sites available at the Springfield-Greene County Library that will give you the lowdown on high employees.

Books @ the library

Approximately 65 percent of young adults entering the work force are likely to have used illegal drugs, and 10 percent to 23 percent of all U.S. workers continue to use dangerous drugs while working. In a recent survey, 8 percent of male job applicants admitted marijuana usage during working hours.

"The Facts About Drug Abuse," 362.29 S, notes that employees with drug dependency have attention deficits, as well as sharp drops in levels of efficiency. Irritability and unexplained absence, on the other hand, increase dramatically.

There are many different explanations for the impulsive, self-destructive behaviors that characterize addiction. "Addic-tion: Entries and Exits," 616.86 A, brings together a great deal of recent research that examines the conditions under which various treatment strategies work. For instance, today's drug-based therapies take into account research that suggests that some people have low levels of dopamine and consequently have a tendency toward sensation-seeking.

"Substance Abuse: The Nation's Number One Health Problem," 362.29 S, documents the devastating impact that alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use have on our society.

These findings present clearly defined challenges that could greatly influence the direction our country takes through the 21st century.

Pertinent Web sites

www.nationaldrugscreen.com/icosts.asp

www.nationaldrugscreen.com/index.asp

Substance abusers are five times more likely to file a workers' compensation claim, are 3.6 times more likely to be in accidents, and their health benefit utilization is 84 percent greater in dollar terms. Use this company's formula to estimate the cost of employee substance abuse in your business.

www.howstuffworks.com/alcohol.htm>

www.howstuffworks.com/marijuana.htm

www.howstuffworks.com/nicotine.htm

When it comes to combining "interesting" with "informative," nobody on the Web does it much better than How-StuffWorks. Above are their mini-tutorials on the ins and outs of alcohol, marijuana and nicotine.

www.baptisteast.com/wor012.htm

This Louisville hospital's site de-scribes symptoms of the three stages of addiction as they appear in the work- place, discusses proper documentation of specific incidents by management, and lists five steps to protect your company and its employees from the effects of substance abuse.

(Mike DePue is the business librarian at the Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell. For almost 20 years he has answered thousands of questions on as many topics.)