Between 15% and 20% of employees abuse alcohol, illicit drugs, or both while on the job, according to the National Council on Alcoholism. Perhaps as much as 35% of the American labor force reports to work “high,” say some analysts.

A survey of 450 hospitality industry employees conducted by Reid Psychological Systems suggests that drug use in hotels, bars and restaurants exceed national norms. The study found that 36% admitted that they had used substances on the job.

The drugs of choice were marijuana and cocaine; a combined 12% reported that they used either right before or while at work. The psychologists conducting the study said that these admissions were probably understated; in such surveys, people normally confess to only half of their “counter-productive acts.”

Why is drug abuse in this industry so rampant? There are several plausible explanations.

A composite profile of a typical employee in the hospitality industry is 17 to 22 years old, single and without a college education, a profile that conforms with norms of substance abusers. Servers of alcohol are regularly in direct contact with a drug-using clientele, an environment of ready access and availability.

For bartenders and servers, purchasing drugs is often no more involved than trading a night’s tips for an ounce of marijuana or a gram of cocaine. The drug business is strictly a cash trade and tipped employees generate large sums of cash nightly.

Management consultant Joseph Weber of Joseph Weber & Associates places the financial cost to employers at roughly $7500 per impaired employee. Lost productivity, increased internal theft, absenteeism and on the job accidents are among the costs directly attributable to employee substance abuse. Harder to quantify are the potential long-term damages impaired employees can inflict on a business.

In addition, employees who use drugs on the job often sell them to co-workers. Use of drugs within a business is rarely confined to a single individual.

Substance abusers:

• Are three times more likely to be late for work.
  
  
• Have an absenteeism rate 16 times higher than the national norm and have 3.5 times as many absences of 8 days or longer.
  
  
• Are 2.2 times as likely to request time off.
  
  
• Are 6 times as likely to use medical benefits or claims unemployment insurance.
  
  
• Are 3.6 times as likely to be injured on the job.
  
  
• Work approximately 25% less efficiently than other employees.

As if financial imperatives weren’t motivation enough, employers are federally mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Act to ensure a safe and healthy work force. Employers may be held responsible if the actions of a drug-using employee endanger the health or safety of other employees or the public.

Recognizing Substance Abuse

Learning how to recognize a substance abuser may likely be the most reliable and cost-effective means of protecting your business against the ill affects of illicit drug use.

Marijuana and cocaine have a predictable effect on the physiology and psychology, a fact upon which employers must take full advantage. For example, the eyes of a person who has ingested a central nervous system depressant will literally “bounce” or twitch. The more that the eyes bounce the higher the degree of intoxication. Eye bounce occurs in 90% of all substance abusers. Police check for eye bounce during field sobriety tests. Subjects are asked to follow the motion of a pen moving directly in front of their face to 90 degrees to the left or right.

There are some cautions, however, when learning to identify substance abusers. Not everyone will exhibit the same symptoms of drug use. Nor will everyone exhibiting symptoms necessarily be a drug user. They may be suffering from allergies, lack of sleep, or some other innocuous condition.

Changes in appearance and personality are telltale, but even here there is a potential problem. Employees who are chronic abusers may report to work impaired yet exhibit no noticeable changes. Their impaired state is considered normal or baseline appearance and behavior.

Spotting Marijuana Use

The psychoactive substance in marijuana, THC, is classified as a relaxant or euphoriant, the two short-term effects that users are seeking. It remains the drug of choice for reducing stress and anxiety.

The physiological effects of smoking marijuana vary in degree with the amount smoked, however, even in small doses the effects can be spotted easily. The mouth becomes dry, often impairing speech.

The drug increases heart rate and can cause people to perspire heavily. Respiratory and bronchial problems, sore throats and chronic coughing are all common symptoms.

Marijuana impairs speech patterns, motor skills and may cause body tremors and hand tremble. Its use impairs vision, causing the eyes to become glassy, the pupils to dilate and blood vessels in the iris to engorge and become red. Marijuana use also causes eye-bounce.

The psychological effects of continuous use include fragmented or disjointed thinking and lost continuity of thought. Marijuana impairs mental functioning and short-term memory. It also interferes with the learning process through diminished concentration and the inability to transfer information to permanent memory.

Users of marijuana may become confused, anxious and exhibit paranoid tendencies. Marijuana creates the deceptive impression that the senses are enhanced, when in fact, they have become distorted and diminished. Nearly every road driving or simulator test conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse revealed that the use of marijuana impaired coordination, reaction time and visual acuity. Job performance is affected in the same manner.

Protracted use may lead to the amotivational syndrome, commonly referred to as “burn-out.” Symptoms include dull, slow moving, inattentive and unresponsive behavior.

Other telltale signs to look for include burn holes in clothing or excessive use of eye drops. Also, marijuana has a distinctive, readily recognizable odor, one markedly different than tobacco. It permeates the user’s clothes, skin, hair and breath.

Spotting Cocaine Use

A survey conducted by the National Cocaine Hotline of its callers found that 44% admitted selling cocaine to friends and co-workers. Thirty-one percent said they stole from their employers and 27% stated that they became violent when high on cocaine.

The intrusion of cocaine into the workplace is well documented. It can be transported in a small vial or packet, ingested in seconds and the high is almost instantaneous. Users of cocaine are often capable of “normal” functioning to the point that it is difficult to detect.

Cocaine is classified as a central nervous system stimulant. The initial high lasts up to 30 minutes with feelings of euphoria, exhilaration, increased alertness, hyperactivity and a sense of well being. Users may complete difficult or repetitive tasks easier and faster. As the high recedes, however, users frequently become depressed, irritable and lose their drive and ambition. Temper outbursts and panic attacks are common.

The physiology reacts immediately to cocaine. It increases heart rate and blood pressure. Cocaine raises the metabolism, burning tremendous energy while depleting the body of vitamin and mineral reserves. Sleep deprivation and decreased appetite leave most users appearing pale, gaunt and exhausted. They are often hoarse and seem to have nagging colds, coughs, infections, or respiratory problems. Snorting cocaine literally paralyzes the nasal passage and respiratory system, causing nosebleeds, sniffling and nasal drip.

Cocaine may precipitate cold sweats, headaches, nausea, or vomiting. It causes the eyes to become glassy, eyelids to droop and pupils to dilate open for 30 to 90 minutes after ingestion.

The psychoactive affects of cocaine are recognizable and predictable. Users are typically anxious, forgetful and compulsive or “speedy.” They often report to work late, or are absent for extended periods of time. Cocaine generally impairs all normal brain activity, often leaving users confused or depressed.

Other indicators signaling cocaine use are extreme mood swings, sleeping on the job, unusual phone calls at work, unexplained money problems and reduced outside interests. Cocaine users often lose contact with most things other than the drug itself.

When confronting employees suspected of substance abuse, employers should base disciplinary action solely on performance issues, such as excessive absenteeism, aberrant behavior, or substandard work performance. Direct reference to substance abuse should be reserved for those exhibiting obvious signs of intoxication, and then only as an indication of a problem requiring treatment.