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Substance Abuse Prevention:
From Rationalization To Results
By Bryan Yingst / January 2008
“Problem? What problem?”
“I'm not THAT bad!”
“It's not the way it looks!”
“I'm just doing it to take the edge off!”
“I can stop anytime I want to.” These are just
some of the common rationalizations people use for
continuing to abuse substances. Often they are the means
of mental defense mechanisms of denial, avoidance, and
justification that allow the person to hide the real
issues at hand: issues of depression, addiction, or
social anxiety for example. Those who rationalize all
have one thing in common– they all share the common
misconception to assume that the “ends justify the
means.” In other words, if you carry out your day-to-day
responsibilities, it doesn’t matter how you get them
done. With substance abuse prevention in the workplace,
this isn’t the case.
Regardless of what one may feel justifies his or her
decision making process, your team has responsibility to
act responsibly while at work. This means:
- conducting business free from alcohol and drug
use
- monitoring your surroundings for drug use or
early warning signs
- reporting unprofessional behavior or possible
abuse
- drinking responsibly at company functions where
alcohol is readily available
- meeting and exceeding your daily duties
Now, we know that everyone is expected to deliver
results for their company. However, as responsible
professionals, we expect you to achieve the same
results in a sound, drug-free state of mind. There
is NEVER an excuse for performing your daily duties
under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Moreover, substance abuse prevention is not only
the "right thing to do,” both legally and
professionally, but by implementing prevention and
treatment programs you will directly benefit your
company’s bottom line. Any company that can ensure
the ability of its employees to make sound decisions
for their company enjoys a true competitive
advantage.
And, organizations which tie prevention to their
business strategy will inevitably increase
performance, productivity and customer satisfaction.
Keep in mind the following statistic:
- According to the National Clearinghouse
for Alcohol and Drug Information, the loss to
companies in the United States due to alcohol
and drug-related abuse by employees totals $100
billion a year.
Now, you may be asking yourself, “How does my
company fit into this equation?” To break the
numbers down, each employee with a substance
abuse problem costs their employer an average of
$42,000 per year.
These staggering numbers do not include the
cost of diverting company resources, which could
be used for other purposes, toward addressing
substance abuse issues.
As you are starting to see, alcohol and drug
abuse by employees can cause many expensive
problems for a business, ranging from lost
productivity, injuries, and an increase in
health insurance claims.
Overall, when approaching substance abuse
prevention, we need to not only understand its
impact on the victim and their work environment,
but also the negative effect the abuse has on
your company’s bottom line.
"From Rationalization To Results" is just one
topic found within KnowledgeStart’s Substance
Abuse Prevention e-Learning product.
For a no-obligation, 15 day free trial
of our Substance Abuse Prevention e-learning
course, please call
1.877.650.0454 or email
info@knowledgestart.com
Who We Are
KnowledgeStart is an employee development company which, for the past seven
years, has specialized in online training for its U.S. and global clients.
We are a leading provider of award-winning e-learning programs and platforms
that maximize learning, increase collaboration and retention, and improve
competitive edge. Over the years, we have excelled in
enhancing organizational and individual productivity in topics such as
Diversity and Inclusion,
Generational Differences,
Harassment Prevention,
Business Ethics, and
Substance Abuse Prevention.
KnowledgeStart understands that every decision made by your employees eventually
crosses someone's path somehow and can often have a "ripple effect" across your
entire organization. Even the smallest of decisions can have a BIG impact on
your company and the people around you. Your workplace is an incredibly
inter-connected environment.
Through this understanding and our collective skill sets and experiences with
leading companies, we are proud to deliver innovative approaches to employee
training, compliance, and outcome measurement software.
Visit our website:
http://www.knowledgestart.com
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