The Impact of Meth in the Workplace
After suffering with a miserable cold for several days I had run out of Sudafed. I went to my local drug store only to find that all of the Sudafed and generic knock-offs were behind the pharmacy counter, to be dispensed by the pharmacist. The reason? Meth. Seems that Sudafed and the like are used to make Methamphetamine - a highly addictive drug (called the "poor man's cocaine" by some). When I scroll through the channels on my television looking for something to watch, occasionally I have heard mention of the problem. Chalking it up to media hype, I often ignored the stories. After encountering the Sudafed police in the drug store the other day, however, I thought differently. This article discusses the impact of Meth on our society and the workplace. Note the following (some of which is attributable to a study at the University of Arkansas):
· each Meth user costs an employer an average of $47,500 annually
· the study examined the six major categories of cost Meth users impose on employers: Increased absenteeism, lost productivity, increased turnover, increased employee theft, increased worker compensation claims and increased healthcare premium costs
· Meth use has increased among U.S. workers by 86 percent over the past five years
· Meth addicts often bankroll their habits via credit card fraud, forgeries, commercial burglaries and robberies, and shoplifting cold medicines and other products used to cook the addictive chemical stimulant
According to the experts, users exhibit erratic and sometimes violent behavior as a result of staying awake for days on end. Imagine the impact we could have if we could, at a minimum, reduce the number of employees resorting to this dangerous drug - on our society and on our companies.