Unit 6: Health
Lesson 4: Avoid Destructive Behaviors
OBJECTIVE
Identify three problems related to drug use and work.
MATERIALS NEEDED
marker board or something to write on
SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES
An abundance of resources on drug use can be obtained at bookstores, in
libraries, on television, and on the Internet. Trainers are encouraged to
seek out any additional resources to provide further instruction.
INSTRUCTIONAL FORMAT
This lesson will provide information on the problems of drug use specific
to health and working. The amount of drug education information that is available
is extraordinary. Most people understand that drugs are bad, but do not always
think about how the consequences of drug use affect their work. This lesson
is not a substitute for substance abuse treatment. If a person is having
difficulties related to the misuse of drugs, he or she should be referred
to a trained substance abuse professional. This training is only designed
as an educational program for job seekers. The drugs that will be discussed
in this topic are alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, and illicit (marijuana, cocaine,
heroine, LSD, etc.) drugs as whole group.
Begin the lesson by discussing drug tests at work. Inform students that employers
have the right to test for illegal drug use. Use the following statistics
published by the US Department of Labor that support the need for drug
screening.
Seventy-one percent of illegal drug users are employed.
Of people who called a cocaine help line, 75 percent indicated they used
drugs while working, 64 percent reported that drugs adversely affected their
job performance, and 18 percent had stolen from employers to support their
drug habit.
Drug-using employees at GM average 40 sick days per year compared to 4.5
for nonusers.
Employees who tested positive on a pre-employment screening at a Utah power
company were five times more likely to be involved in a workplace accident.
The Institute for Health Policy, out of Brandeis University, found that substance
abuse is the number one health problem in the country.
Overall, substance abuse is estimated to cost U.S. businesses more than $100
billion each year.
Discuss why substance abuse would cost employers so much money.
When workers miss work, they need to pay sick days and overtime for replacement
workers.
Poor performance leads to work not getting done on time and poor quality.
When products and services are not done correctly, they need to be done over.
Repeating any process costs money.
Workplace injuries cost companies a lot of money in prevention programs,
worker's compensation, and replacement workers.
All of these factors lead to higher turnover. High turnover leads to money
being spent on training new employees.
Discuss alcohol and illegal drug use. Use of alcohol or illegal drugs while
working is definitely related to poor performance and accidents. Long-term
abuse of alcohol or illegal drugs is linked to health problems such as heart
disease, cancer, and liver disease. Even occasional partying the night before
work can impact a person's job. Calling in sick and poor job performance
when at work can affect a person's job evaluations and opportunities to advance
in the company.
Discuss the use of cigarettes and working. All people should be aware about
the health dangers of smoking. Nevertheless, students may not think about
how smoking affects their job performance. According to information reported
on the Smokefree Workplace
News, smokers are absent 50 percent more often than nonsmokers and appear
to be more unproductive due to frequent smoke breaks. Some evidence also
suggests that smoking leads to decreased attentiveness and efficiency. Students
should be informed that many companies are implementing strict workplace
smoking policies. It is unlikely that a person will be able to smoke whenever
or wherever he or she wants on the job.
Discuss caffeine and working. There is no substantial link between caffeine
use and health or work-related problems. Trainers may want to point out that
too much caffeine can interfere with sleep and cause a vicious cycle. The
person is tired due to lack of sleep and uses caffeine to stay awake and
alert during the day. As mentioned previously, a good night's rest, a proper
diet, and physical activity can lead to significant health benefits and energy.
Remind students that caffeine is a stimulant and can cause nervousness and
irritability. Although this may not hurt job performance, it certainly cannot
help someone deal with the pressures of the job.
Discuss unprotected sex and sharing needles as behaviors associated with drug use that can have serious health consequences. Again, this type of information is available in great detail in many sources and most students probably have heard the information several times. Nevertheless, a reminder in the context of staying healthy would not hurt. Sharing needles when using drugs puts a person at risk of being infected with many diseases, the most serious of which is the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that can lead to AIDS. Although having unprotected sex is not directly related to using drugs, a person's judgement is impaired under the influence of drugs or alcohol that can lead to making poor or risky decisions. Having unprotected sex and consequences will be covered more thoroughly in a following lesson titled "Sexually Transmitted Diseases."
Smokefree Workplace News. www.smokefreekids.com/worknews.htm.
SIGNS OF GENERALIZATION
If a person has a substance abuse problem, he or she will need professional
help. People who exhibit addictive behaviors, such as smoking cigarettes,
will probably need a greater incentive to stop than a lecture on the effects
of smoking in the workplace. Hopefully, the students will consider the
information presented and make appropriate life adjustments to improve their
health and potential work performance.
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