Tag Archives: counseling

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

Drugs and Money: The Costs of Addiction (Guest Post)

Chances are that you know someone who currently struggling, or has struggled, with addiction. http://www.bestmastersincounseling.com/ has created an infographic detailing some of the statistics behind addiction, along with the costs and benefits of treatment.

The impact of addiction is shocking. From lost time at work to crime-related costs, addiction costs $600 billion per year. That number boils down to $1,800 per man, women, and child in the United States. $193 billion going to tobacco, $193 billion to illicit drugs, and $335 billion in alcohol.

And while you may think that addiction doesn’t affect you, 2 out of 3 drug users, are employed, and 1 in 12 full-time workers are using drugs regularly. Only 10 percent of individuals with substance abuse problems will seek treatment.

This infographic also details the cost of drugs like meth, cocaine, and prescription medications, along with the costs of jail time, treatment, and healthcare costs. For every $1 invested in substance abuse treatment, we save $7 in healthcare and criminal justice costs.

Feel free to like, comment, and share this infographic entitled “Drugs and Money: The Costs of Addiction” brought to you by http://www.bestmastersincounseling.com/.

 

General Safety Issues

ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH – 2012

Sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Alcohol Awareness Month is observed during the month of April.  There are many sobering facts about the effects that alcohol and drug addiction have on individuals, as well as family, friends, and co-workers.  The cost and consequences of these habits place an enormous burden on American society, as well.  Addiction strains the healthcare system, economy, harms family life, and threatens public safety. 

Substance abuse is everywhere, regardless of gender, age, ethnic groups, and people in every tax bracket.  Alcohol kills six times more young people than all illicit drugs combined.  It is a leading factor in accidents, homicides, and suicides.  Most high school students say it is fairly easy to get alcohol.  By the time American youngsters reach the age of 18, they have seen at least 100,000 beer commercials on television. 

Here are some eye-opening facts from the NCADD:

  • Almost half of all traffic fatalities are alcohol-related.
  • Between 48% and 64% of people who die in fires have blood alcohol levels indicating intoxication.
  • Alcohol consumption has been linked with greater risk of disturbing trauma, including motor car crashes, bicycling accidents, falls, self-inflicted wounds, injuries during sports activities, injuries in recreational events, and interpersonal violence.
  • Heavy drinking contributes to illness in each of the top three causes of death: heart disease, stroke, and cancer. (And, untreated addiction is more expensive than cancer, heart disease, and diabetes combined.)
  • One-quarter of all emergency room admissions, one-third of all suicides, and more than half of all homicides and incidents of domestic violence are alcohol-related.
  • Every American adult pays nearly $1,000 per year for the damages of addiction.
  • Alcohol and drug abuse costs the American economy an estimated $276 billion per year in lost productivity, health care expenditures, crime, motor vehicle crashes and other conditions. 
  • Young people who tasted alcohol before 15 years old were at 5 times greater risk to have past alcohol dependence or abuse as compared to persons who first used alcohol at age 21 or older.
  • About 20 per cent of 8th grade students, 35 per cent of 10th grade students, and 48 per cent of 12th grade students admitted having tasted alcohol in their lives.  About one-third of these students report binge drinking (five or more drinks on a single go.)
  • About 40 per cent of high school seniors believe there’s no great risk in consuming four to five drinks almost every day.

Diagnosis and treatment of this disease (yes, it is a disease) is of the utmost importance.  Treatment can save lives and also dollars that would otherwise be spent in other areas of social services and medical care.  For every dollar spent on addiction treatment, seven dollars is saved in reduced health care costs.   Many employers offer counseling to their employees who have problems with drug or alcohol dependence.  Studies have shown that when these employees have been helped, work results showed less absenteeism, decreased problems with supervisors, as well as less incomplete work and fewer mistakes in work. 

An individual that is hooked on alcohol or drugs is not only affecting his/her life, but the lives of family, friends, and co-workers.  If family and friends can get the assistance of a trained specialist to conduct an intervention, hopefully, the individual will want to stop.   Alcohol or drugs have the ability to alter ones’ personality to the point that they are completely different than when they are sober.   If they could see how they act when they have had too much, it might help them decide to stop.

Re-read the facts above and know that there is no good reason to become addicted to anything.  Stay in control of your life for yourself and your loved ones.  Most of all, keep our future growing by ending underage drinking.  Please continue to stay tuned.  April 5th is National Alcohol Screening Day, and we have some additional  information concerning screening that describes risks for women, college students, and older drinkers.

Sources: NCADD, US Department of Health and Human Services

General Safety Issues

HANDLING WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

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Although we have addressed this subject in an earlier article, Violence in the Workplace, it is such an important issue, that we want to talk about it at a different angle.  Both articles contain information that may be helpful, should you find yourself in such a situation.  According to OSHA, violence in the workplace is the fourth leading cause of fatal occupational injuries in the United States, posing a very serious safety and health issue. 

It is critical that employers have a comprehensive workplace violence policy in place.  Hazard assessments must be done, as well as identifying risk factors.  The training program should include every employee, being sure they understand how important it is to report any incidents that could possibly cause a reaction resulting in harm to other employees.  Disruptive behavior should not be tolerated.  Yelling, profanity, waving arms and fists, verbally abusing and refusing reasonable requests from the supervisor to cease such acts are signs of being disruptive.  Threatening physical actions, short of actual contact, such as moving closer to the person, oral or written threats or comments like “you’ll be sorry”, should not be tolerated.  Violent behavior is when a person physically assaults another person, with or without weapons.  People prone to violence throw things, pound on desks, doors, destroy property, and may threaten to shoot or harm others.  (Sure hope you don’t know anyone who acts this way!) 

Managers and staff must set and enforce standards of conduct and be there to help with calming situations down if at all possible.  Suggestions are to talk to the person, but not isolate oneself.  Using a calm approach may be helpful.  Never touch the person, as that could trigger a violent reaction.  Have a signal set up to let other coworkers to know that you need help (so they can call 9-1-1.)  Waving or getting the offenders’ attention may set him off.  If you feel that your intervention is not helping, leave the room, and call the police, if it hasn’t already been done.  Get yourself and others to safety.  Leave an open line for the police if possible, so they are better informed of the confrontation. 

Once a situation is defused, hopefully without violence, those who served as witnesses, potential victims, and the families and friends of all involved will have a certain amount of trauma to deal with.  The company should have counseling and interventions for all to be able to participate. 

Hopefully, you will never have to deal with anything like this where you work.  If you witness anything that you suspect could escalate to any type of disruptive behavior, tell your supervisor.  Many times there are warning signs that we see as not serious; however, the well-being of all your coworkers may be at risk.  A better way of resolving conflict among workers could be served by managers and staff who are willing to have open communication with all employees at all times.