ABSTRACT
Drugs have played a part in recreational activity in many communities throughout history. However, it has also long been recognised that the use and misuse of some drugs can impair performance and that in turn affects the ability of individuals to perform productive tasks at work. The effects in the workplace can arise from drug use in leisure time, at the workplace itself and in the ‘grey’ area between work and leisure such as after-work activities, Christmas parties or other work-related events. How much do these problems in the workplace cost and who has to pay – the employee, the employer or the state? Most available data suggests that employers are bearing significant costs although they rarely have data specific to their company. If these costs are significant, are there cost-effective ways of reducing this burden and what responsibility should employers take on to reduce the costs either to themselves or to the rest of society?
