Amid recent reports revealing a growing trend of substance abuse among American workers, Novus Medical Detox Center calls for support programs and treatment to reduce the prevalence and economic costs of prescription and illicit substance abuse.
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla., Jan. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- According to a recent report from Quest Diagnostics, positive drug test rates have increased for the first time in 10 years, and the latest government statistics confirm that prescription and illicit drug use is on the rise in the American workforce. In response to these findings, To access, purchase, authenticate, or subscribe to the full-text of this article, please visit this link:
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Quest Diagnostics found that 3.7% of the U.S. workforce tested positive for drugs, a 5.7% year-over-year increase (1). Based on urine test results, the top five drugs workers tested positive for were marijuana (1.7%), oxycodones (.88%), amphetamines (.85%), benzodiazepines (.74%) and opiates (.39%). However, government findings suggest illicit drug use among American workers is even more widespread. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 15.4 million workers used illicit drugs in 2013-an increase of 5.5% over 2012-with 9.1% of full-time employees and 13.7% of part-time employees admitting to illicit drug use (2).
Previous studies have shown that To access, purchase, authenticate, or subscribe to the full-text of this article, please visit this link:
Drug addiction also takes a financial toll on individual workers. One government study calculated the average monthly drug expenditures for users of certain illicit substances; the annual totals amounted to $7,860 for methamphetamine users, $10,596 for cocaine users and $17,484 for heroin users (5). Considering that the average U.S. salary is $46,440 per year (6), this level of drug spending can represent a substantial proportion of an employee's income.
"Together, these studies illustrate the alarming severity of the substance abuse problem for American businesses and workers," said Will Wesch, Director of Admissions for Novus Medical Detox Center. "One out of every 10 employees admits to using illicit drugs. Employers need to understand what that means for their business in terms of lost productivity, healthcare costs and turnover. And employees need to recognize what their addictions are costing them-they're not only jeopardizing their health and potentially their employment, but they're wasting thousands of dollars they could have spent bettering their lives, investing in their children or saving for the future."
While workplace drug testing is one way employers can address the issue of substance abuse, Wesch stresses that support programs play an equally important role: "An employee assistance program (EAP) can empower struggling workers to end the cycle of addiction. In many cases, a confidential referral to a To access, purchase, authenticate, or subscribe to the full-text of this article, please visit this link:
Novus offers a wide range of To access, purchase, authenticate, or subscribe to the full-text of this article, please visit this link:
For more information on Novus Medical Detox Center and its drug detox programs, visit To access, purchase, authenticate, or subscribe to the full-text of this article, please visit this link:
About Novus Medical Detox Center:
Novus Medical Detox Center offers safe, effective alcohol and drug treatment programs in a home-like residential setting. Located on 3.25 tree-lined acres in New Port Richey, Fla., Novus is licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families as an inpatient medical detox facility. Novus is known for minimizing the discomfort of withdrawal from prescription medication, drugs or alcohol by creating a customized detox program for each patient, incorporating medication, natural supplements and fluid replenishment-putting the dignity and humanity back into drug detoxification. Patients have 24/7 medical supervision, including round-the-clock nursing care and access to a withdrawal specialist, and enjoy comfortable private or shared rooms with a telephone, cable television and high-speed Internet access. Novus' expansion is tied to their contribution to their industry and their local community, ranking number 48 on the Tampa Bay Business Journal' s 2014 Fast 50 Awards list of the fastest-growing companies in Tampa Bay, and number 2,936 on the 2014 Inc. 500/5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America. For more information, visit To access, purchase, authenticate, or subscribe to the full-text of this article, please visit this link:
1. Quest Diagnostics. "Workforce Drug Test Positivity Rate Increases for the First Time in 10 Years, Driven by Marijuana and Amphetamines, Finds Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index Analysis of Employment Drug Tests"; Quest Diagnostics press release; September 11, 2014. questdiagnostics.com/home/physicians/health-trends/drug-testing
2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Results From the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings ; September 2014. samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUHresultsPDFWHTML2013/Web/NSDUHresults2013.pdf
3. Backer, Thomas E. Strategic Planning for Workplace Drug Abuse Programs ; National Institute on Drug Abuse; Rockville, MD: 1987. ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/111656NCJRS.pdf
4. National Drug Intelligence Center. National Drug Threat Assessment: 2011 ; August 2011. justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs44/44849/44849p.pdf
5. Office of National Drug Control Policy. What America's Users Spend on Illegal Drugs: 2000-2010 ; February 2014. whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/ondcp/policy-and-research/wausid_results_report.pdf
6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2013 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates United States ; accessed January 23, 2015. bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm
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SOURCE Novus Medical Detox Center