Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Statistics

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Frequently, drug and alcohol testing statistics and facts need to be explicitly stated to make an impact on people’s awareness.  This is especially the case concerning workplace drug and alcohol testing statistics.

Types of Workplace Alcohol Tests

There are basically five different types of alcohol tests that are available in the workplace:  alcohol breathalyzer tests (also called alcohol breath tests and breath alcohol tests), alcohol blood tests (also called blood alcohol tests or blood tests for alcohol), saliva alcohol tests, urine alcohol tests, and hair alcohol tests.  It can be articulated that hair tests for alcohol are relatively recent.  That is, until 2008, hair tests could not detect alcohol and, as a result, were used to test for drugs other than alcohol.

The Significance of Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Statistics

Regrettably, various discussions and topics such as the importance of drug and alcohol testing in the workplace do not make a meaningful impact on people’s consciousness until relevant statistics and facts are explicitly articulated.

Apparently, many people need solid and reliable information about drug and alcohol abuse before this information "hits home."  With this thought in mind, the following represents a list of some of the key drug and alcohol testing facts and statistics that are currently available.

• Among employees who worked for the largest establishments of 500 or more employees, 42.6 percent reported random drug testing.
• Substance abusers are five times more likely to file a workers’ compensation claim and three to four times more likely to have an accident on the job.
• Employees in the construction industry and the food service industry reported the highest occurrence of substance abuse problems compared to all other industries in one study.
• An estimated 10.0 million (8.7 percent) workers reported that they would be less likely work for an employer who tests randomly for drug or alcohol use while 45.5 million (39.8 percent) workers reported that they would be less likely. 
• Substance abusers are 33% to 50% less productive.
• Roughly 47% of the injuries and 40% of the industrial fatalities that take place in the U.S. workplace are associated with alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence.
• According to the alcohol abuse research literature, absenteeism among problem drinkers or alcohol dependent individuals is 3.8 to 8.3 times greater than absenteeism among those who are not problem drinkers or who are not alcohol dependent.
• Substance abusers file medical claims that are three to four times more costly than the claims filed by individuals who don’t engage in substance abuse.
• Research has demonstrated that workplace alcohol testing programs are related to a fewer occurrence of excessive alcohol use and dependence among employees.
• According to the alcohol abuse statistics, more than 40% of U.S. corporate CEOs who participated in a recent survey stated that the use of alcohol and illegal drugs costs them from 1% to 10% of their yearly payroll.
• An estimated 50% to 80% of loss associated with theft and pilferage is due to substance-using employees.
• Research has demonstrated that workplace alcohol testing programs are related to fewer occurrences of excessive alcohol use and dependence among employees.
• Substance abusers late for work three times more often than non-substance abusers and are absent from work an average of three or more weeks per year.

Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Statistics: Conclusion

A number of statistics and facts about drug and alcohol testing in the workplace have been articulated.  It is hoped that these facts and statistics have added some understanding into the significance of alcohol testing in today's companies, institutions, and organizations.

There are primarily five different types of alcohol tests that are currently employed in the workplace: urine alcohol tests, saliva alcohol tests, breathalyzer alcohol tests (also known as breath alcohol tests and alcohol breath tests), hair alcohol tests, and blood alcohol tests (also called alcohol blood tests and blood tests for alcohol).  Due to recent technological changes, hair tests for alcohol can now detect alcohol in addition to other drugs.

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