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April is
National Alcohol Awareness Month, and employers, unions and
other organizations are encouraged to participate by educating
workers about the dangers of alcohol abuse, both on and off the
job, and resources available to help those struggling with
alcohol problems.
For example, organizations can organize onsite training
sessions, guest speakers or brown-bag lunches focused on the
topic of alcohol. A variety of related brochures, posters and
fact sheets are available through the
National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information to
support such efforts or for dissemination to employees through
other channels, such as employee newsletters or worksite
displays.
National
Alcohol Awareness Month also presents an opportune time to
remind employees about Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or
Member Assistance Program (MAP) services, if available. Such
programs offer free, confidential services to help all employees
resolve personal problems, such as alcohol abuse, that may be
affecting their work performance.
Organizations
can also offer employees the opportunity to privately assess how
alcohol may be affecting the way they live and work. For
example, they can inform employees about confidential,
self-administered online screening tools and make sure all
employees have access to the Internet in a private location if
they wish to use them. Examples include
Alcohol Screening.org, a service of Join Together, a program
of Boston University’s School of Public Health, and
GetFit.SAMHSA.Gov, a Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA) Web site.
Even if
screenings are not offered, organizations can educate employees
about community resources that can help someone struggling with
alcohol abuse. Help is likely available nearby through a
hospital, local health department or stand-alone
Substance Abuse Treatment Center. Also, self-help programs,
such as the 12-step programs of
Alcoholics Anonymous and
Al-Anon, are free and available nationwide.
Employers and
unions have a vested interest in helping to prevent worker
alcohol abuse and supporting individuals with alcohol problems.
Alcohol can significantly impair a worker’s judgment and
coordination, leading to an increased risk of on-the-job
accidents and injuries. It can also lead to lower levels of
productivity and employee morale—not only that of those with
alcohol problems, but also those working alongside them.
Organizations interested in learning about how they can minimize
the risks of worker alcohol use can visit the following Web
sites::
Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, a program of The
George Washington University Medical Center that provides
research-based information on effective alcohol treatment and
the barriers many people face when they seek help for a drinking
problem.
Working Partners for an Alcohol- and Drug-Free Workplace, a
U.S. Department of Labor initiative that helps employers create
drug-free workplace programs that educate about the dangers of
alcohol and encourage individuals with alcohol problems to seek
help.
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