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Note: The following statistics should not be attributed to the U.S. Department of Labor, but rather their respective
+footnoted sources listed at the bottom of the page.
Despite fairly widespread belief, the health care industry is not
immune to workplace substance abuse. Health care industry workers
who abuse alcohol and other drugs threaten the safety and well being
of not only themselves, but their colleagues and a countless number
of patients. By keeping America's hospitals, clinics and other heath-related
establishments free of substance abuse, industry administrators work
to ensure the health of their staff and clients and further their
company's reputation as a provider of high-quality services in which
patients and their loved ones can place their trust.
A Federal government survey revealed that more than 4 percent of
nursing home employees and more than five percent of hospital and
other health services employees report heavy drinking.1
Rates of substance abuse among different types of personnel within
the health care industry are as follows:2
| |
| Position |
Current Illicit Drug Use (%) |
Past Year Illicit Drug Use (%) |
Current Heavy Drug Use (%) |
Physicians, Dentists, Optometrists |
-- |
19.8 |
-- |
Nurses and Nursing Aides |
5.5 |
12.8 |
2.8 |
Dental and Health Aides |
2.8 |
9.9 |
2.3 |
Therapists |
4.0 |
7.2 |
3.5 |
Clinical and Laboratory Technologists |
4.3 |
8.9 |
2.2 |
|
The good news is that more and more health care industry employers,
ranging from large hospitals to small clinics, are implementing drug-free
workplace programs in order to ensure a safe working environment for
their employees and high-quality care for their clients.
Endnotes:
1 US Department of Health and Human Services Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (1996). Drug Use
among U.S. Workers: Prevalence and Trends by Occupation and Industry
Categories. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services.
2 Ibid.
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