HR ProFile, Early Summer 2008 Painkiller article

Pain Killer medication abuse in the workplace, its effect on workers� compensation and employee
safety in the State of Ohio. By: Melinda Smith

In the State of Ohio, there were an estimated 484,000 Non-Medical pain reliever abusers for the
period of 2005 & 2006 ( Source: SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies, National Survey of Drug Use,
2005-2006). According to the Ohio Abuse Monitoring Network (Highlight of Statewide drug trends,
June 2007 to January 2008), treatment providers and crime lab personnel report that Vicodin�
(Hydrocodone & Acetaminophen) and Percocet� (Oxycodone & Acetaminophen) continue to be the
most commonly diverted and abused opioids in the state. There is also a continued connection
between initial opioid abuse and subsequent heroin use.

What does all this mean for employers? The Ohio Bureau of Workers� Compensation and Drug Free
Workplace Program web page reports that 47 percent of serious accidents and 40 percent of fatal
workplace accidents have drug or alcohol involvement (Also: Source, Occupational Medicine). 38
percent to 50 percent of all workers� compensation claims are related to alcohol or drug abuse in the
workplace (Source: National Council on Compensation Insurance); 74 percent of drug abusers are
employed (Source: NIDA & HHS). Up to 17 percent of employees in every company are substance
abusers (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics). The Ohio Bureau of Workers� Compensation reports
that substance abusers are 33 to 50 percent less productive. Users are absent an average of three
weeks more per year and are tardy more than non-users.

Substance abusers also file up to 400 percent more costly claims than non-users. Estimates of the
cost of substance abuse treatment per abuser vary from $9,000 to $25,000 annually. In cases of
workers� compensation claims, the Ohio law (4123.54: Compensation in case of injury & death)
states coverage is not provided if (1) Purposely self-inflicted; (2) If injury is caused by the employee
being intoxicated or under the influence of controlled substance that is not prescribed by a
physician.

In summary , the cost range of substance abusers in Ohio varies from $ 3,000,000 to $ 12,000,000
per year to the state�s economy. Over a quarter of all employees employed per company are
substance abusers, and almost half of the accidents in the workplace are caused by drug abusers.
While these statistics vary state-to-state, by performing drug testing on your employees, you will
greatly reduce the number of accidents in your company, lower your workers� compensation
claims, improve productivity, have fewer product defects, improved safety, and will help control
crime & violence.