Employees shunning drug treatment

A drug research specialist is warning that a lack of treatment opportunities for employees with drug problems could pose significant challenges for businesses.

However, said Dr Jonathan Yearwood, Research and Information Officer with the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA), some employees were reluctant to get required treatment because of the associated stigma.

He said it was for this reason that the NCSA would be embarking on a public sector study later this year to find out what policies were in place and what where the shortcomings.

“This year the NCSA will research public sector organisations to assess workplace policies and approaches to dealing with drug-related problems in the workplace. The findings from this research will inform programmes that help employees deal with drug-related issues,” said Yearwood.

“It is also essential for persons who experience drug problems in the workplace to gain access to drug treatment services. A lack of drug treatment opportunities for employees can cause expensive problems for business and industries ranging from loss of productivity, injuries and an increase in health insurance claims.

“The NCSA recognises that some employees may be reluctant to participate in drug treatment services in the workplace because of perceived stigma from colleagues, employers and society in general,” added Yearwood.

He was speaking on Wednesday as he shared findings of the 2019 Barbados Drug Information Network (BARDIN) study, which showed that eight in every ten people seeking treatment were men, the majority of them between 20 and 40 years old.

Dr Yearwood said there was need for a more collaborative approach to addressing drug use and drug addiction in Barbados.

“A long-term answer to the drug problem may lie in more collaborative approaches with the community to reduce drug use, substance abuse or contact with law enforcement. In this regard, law enforcement and social agencies can develop collaborative interventions with the community to solve the problems that contribute to drug use and crime,” he said.

He warned that individuals with substance abuse problems who were unable to access treatment tend to relapse into drug use and drug addiction.

Dr Yearwood said the increased number of offenders admitted to the drug treatment programme at Dodds prison in 2019 indicated a growing need for offenders’ drug treatment services.

“A significant body of research shows that offenders who experience drug problems and did not participate in a treatment programme tend to recidivate at a higher rate than offenders who receive drug addiction treatment,” he said.
(MM)