Substance Abuse: The Problem and Its Solution

Owners, contractors, and labor officials all viewed substance abuse in their part of the industry as a serious problem, with design firms viewing it as much less serious for them. When asked to rate substance abuse within their own companies, each stakeholder except labor officials viewed it as less of a problem. The data are unclear whether this difference is an accurate perception or analogous to an addict’s denial of a problem. The percentage of each stakeholder’s firm thought to be substance abusers was also assessed. (SD-32, p. 10)

Overall design and construction costs were thought to be 6.5-8.5% higher as a result of substance abuse. Part of the increased costs result from higher insurance costs (both health care and worker’s comp). Designers assessed lower impacts in their segment of the construction industry, consistent with their view that the problem is less prevalent for them. (SD-32, p. 14)

Survey respondents all perceived absenteeism, late starts, early quits, safety incidents, productivity, and turnover as being significantly and adversely impacted by substance abuse, on average between 13.6-18.8%. Interestingly, designers report similar percentage increases. (SD-32, p. 15)

A variety of approaches are being used to address the substance abuse problem with establishment of clear company policy being the most widely used, and search/seizure (in liaison with local law enforcement) being least frequently used. (SD-32, p. 19)

Owners are more likely to employ drug testing, with pre-employment testing most commonly used. For-cause testing, including after accidents, is the next most frequently used. All stakeholders overwhelmingly expressed they would NOT hire a known drug/alcohol abuser. A significant majority would, however, hire a recovering alcohol or drug addict. (SD-32, p. 22)