ILO Means of Action Key Gender Issues Progress and Achievements Practical Guidance and Recommendations Contact Address and Further Reading 1. The rapid escalation of drug and alcohol abuse is increasingly being regarded as a major social problem, and one that has devastating effects on the workplace as well. More than 50 million people worldwide are estimated to be dependent on drugs. Alcohol has become the third leading cause of death following heart disease and cancer. Billions of dollars are lost each year due to absenteeism, health problems, accidents and lower productivity caused by drugs and alcohol.
Alcohol is readily available, and drugs are increasingly becoming more available.
Substance abuse has long spilled over from marginalized groups into the mainstream. It has reached the workplace as a sizeable problem to be reckoned with. Management and workers have to learn to confront the issue in a rational manner. They can no longer ignore or suppress the problem - they have to manage it. And because of this, what once was the problem of law enforcement and health authorities has now become an issue of relevance to the ILO's constituents, too.