Workplace substance use climate: Prevalence and distribution in the U.S. workforce

This study explored the prevalence and distribution of employee exposure to three dimensions of workplace substance use climate availability, descriptive norms and injunctive norms. Data were collected from a national probability sample of 2148 U.S. wage and salary workers (957 men; 1191 women) using a random digit dialled telephone survey. Approximately 63.09% of the workforce reported that they could easily bring alcohol into work, use alcohol while working, use alcohol during lunch and other breaks, or obtain alcohol at work. Similarly, 59.05% of the workforce reported that they could easily engage in the same behaviours regarding illicit drugs. During the preceding 12 months, 23.00% of the workforce reported exposure to a co-worker who used or was impaired by alcohol during the workday and 12.65% of the workforce reported exposure to a co-worker who used or was impaired by an illicit drug during the workday. Approximately, 7.03% of the workforce reported exposure to a co-worker who approved of alcohol use or impairment during the workday and 3.55% of the workforce reported exposure to a co-worker who approved of using or being impaired by illicit drugs during the workday. The distribution of exposure to a permissive workplace substance use climate differed by gender, age, occupation and work shift.