September 27, 2002

Awareness of Workplace
Substance Use Policies and
Programs
T
he National Household Survey on Drug
Abuse (NHSDA) includes questions
In Brief about the respondent’s work status, type
of work, as well as substance use policies and
employee assistance programs at the workplace.1
● Among full-time workers aged
Respondents were classified as aware of a
18 to 49, those in substance use policy or program if they
administrative support responded “yes” to the question of whether or
occupations were more likely not there were substance use policies or
than workers in other programs at their workplace. Respondents were
occupations to be aware of classified as unaware of the policy or program if
written workplace policies they responded “no” or “don’t know” and were
included in the analysis.2 In 2000, the NHSDA
about employee substance use
reported over 107 million persons aged 18 to 49
● Workers in the transportation, in the labor force, of whom 82 percent (almost
communication, and other 88 million) worked full-time. This report
presents data on full-time workers aged 18 to 49
public utilities industries were regarding their knowledge of substance use
more likely than workers in policies and resources at their workplace.
other industries to be aware of
substance use testing at their
Awareness of Written Substance
workplaces Use Policies at the Workplace
● About 53 percent of workers In 2000, 76 percent of full-time workers aged 18
were aware of substance use to 49 (more than 66 million workers) were aware
employee assistance programs of written policies on substance use at their
at their workplaces workplace. Workers in administrative support
occupations (84 percent) were more likely than

The NHSDA Report is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA.
Additional copies of this report or other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are available on-line: http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov.
Citation of the source is appreciated.
NHSDA REPORT: AWARENESS OF WORKPLACE SUBSTANCE USE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS September 27, 2002

Figure 1. Percentages of Full-Time Workers Aged 18 Figure 2. Percentages of Full-Time Workers Aged 18
to 49 Reporting Awareness of a Written Policy about to 49 Reporting Awareness of a Written Policy about
Employee Use of Alcohol or Drugs at Their Employee Use of Alcohol or Drugs at Their
Workplace, by Occupation: 2000 Workplace, by Industry: 2000

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Administrative 92.6
83.7 Government
Support

Operators, Transportation,
Communications, and 90.5
Fabricators, 79.9 Other Public Utilities
and Laborers
Manufacturing 85.9
Professional
79.5
Specialty
Occupation

Professional Services 81.2

Industry
Executive,
Administrative, 76.8
and Managerial
Wholesale and Retail 70.6

Services 73.8 Finance, Insurance,

Real Estate, and
69.9
Other Personal and
Recreation Services
Technical and 72.2
Sales Support Business and
Repair Services
64.5

Precision
Production, 70.4 Construction
62.2
Craft & Repair and Mining

those in other occupations to be
aware of such policies (Figure 1).
Across industries, workers in
government (93 percent) or
transportation, communications and
other public utilities (91 percent)
reported the highest rates of
awareness of written policies on
substance use at the workplace
(Figure 2).
Awareness of Substance
Use Testing at the
Workplace
Almost 48 percent of full-time
workers aged 18 to 49 (almost 42
million workers) were aware of
substance use testing at their
workplaces. Operators, fabricators,
and laborers (69 percent) were more
likely, and workers in professional
specialty occupations (36 percent)
were less likely, than those in other
occupations to be aware of
substance use testing at their
workplace (Figure 3). Workers in
the transportation, communication,
and other public utilities industries
(76 percent) were more likely than
those in other industries to be aware
of substance use testing at their
workplaces (Figure 4).
Awareness of Employee
Assistance Programs at
the Workplace
About 53 percent of full-time
workers aged 18 to 49 (more than 46
million workers) were aware of
access to employee assistance
programs for substance abuse
through their workplace. Workers in
professional specialty occupations
(66 percent) were more likely, and
workers in service occupations (41
percent) were less likely, than those
in other occupations to be aware of
employee assistance programs for
substance abuse through their
workplace (Figure 3). Workers in
precision production, craft, and
repair jobs; and operators,
fabricators and laborers reported
lower rates of awareness of
employee assistance programs than
rates of awareness of testing for
substance use at their workplace,
which was the reverse among
workers in other occupations.
Across industries, rates of
awareness of substance abuse
employee assistance programs were
highest among workers in
government (85 percent) or
transportation, communications and
other public utilities (71 percent)
(Figure 4). Only 36 percent of
September 27, 2002 NHSDA REPORT: AWARENESS OF WORKPLACE SUBSTANCE USE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS

Figure 3. Percentages of Full-Time Workers Aged 18 to Figure 4. Percentages of Full-Time Workers Aged 18 to
49 Reporting Awareness of Workplace Testing for Sub- 49 Reporting Awareness of Workplace Testing for Sub-
stance Use or Access to Any Type of Employee Assis- stance Use or Access to Any Type of Employee Assis-
tance or Counseling Program, by Occupation: 2000 tance or Counseling Program, by Industry: 2000

Substance Use Testing Employee Assistance Program Substance Use Testing Employee Assistance Program

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

51.5 61.1
Administrative Government
Support 61.3 85.2
Transportation,
Operators, 75.9
69.4 Communications, and
Fabricators, Other Public Utilities 71.4
51.8
and Laborers
67.5
Manufacturing
Professional 35.5 64.2
Specialty 65.7
37.7
Occupation

Professional Services

Industry
Executive, 41.9 62.1
Administrative,
57.7 43.5
and Managerial Wholesale and Retail
37.6
44.4 Finance, Insurance,
Services 36.3
40.6 Real Estate, and
Other Personal and 47.5
Recreation Services
Technical and 46.6
Business and 37.4
Sales Support 49.4 Repair Services 43.2
Precision 52.8
Production, Construction 46.5
46.7 and Mining 35.6
Craft & Repair

workers in the construction and mining industries were
aware of employee assistance programs for substance use.
End Notes
1. Respondents aged 15 or older who reported current employment were asked
whether (1) there was a written policy at their workplace about employee use
of alcohol or drugs, (2) their workplace ever tests its employees for alcohol
use, (3) their workplace ever tests its employees for drug use, or (4) there
was access to any type of employee assistance program or other type of
counseling program through their workplace for employees who have
alcohol- or drug-related problems. For the purpose of this report, substance
use testing is defined as testing for alcohol, drugs, or both.
2. Findings represent all employees, regardless of whether their workplace has
a written substance use policy, tests employees for substance use, or
provides access to employee assistance or counseling programs for
substance use problems. Percentages of full-time workers aged 18 to 49
reporting “don’t know” were 3.4 percent for written policies, 9.4 percent for
employee assistance programs, and 2.6 percent for workplace testing.
Respondents who did not respond to the question were excluded from the
analysis. The percentages reporting missing were 0.2 percent, 0.2 percent,
and 1.1 percent, respectively.
The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) is an annual
survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA). The 2000 data are based on information
obtained from nearly 72,000 persons aged 12 or older, including 24,215
adults aged 18 to 49 employed full-time. The survey collects data by
administering questionnaires to a representative sample of the population
through face-to-face interviews at their place of residence.
The NHSDA Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies (OAS),
SAMHSA, and by RTI in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
Information and data for this issue are based on the following publication
and statistics:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2001).
Summary of findings from the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug
Abuse (NHSDA Series: H-13, DHHS Publication No. SMA 01-3549).
Rockville, MD: Author.
Also available on-line: www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov.
Additional tables available upon request.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
Office of Applied Studies
www.samhsa.gov

Figure Notes

Source (Figures 1–5): SAMHSA 2000 NHSDA.