Most Recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health Shows Increase in Illicit Drug Use by Full-Time Workers

Monthly use of illicit drugs by full-time employed (FTE) U.S. workers increased in 2017, according to the latest findings contained in the annual National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH Survey or Survey). The percentage of FTEs engaging in illicit drug use (12.1%) in calendar year 2017 – the most recent year reported – is a full one percent higher than in 2016 (11.1%), and represents a new 10-year high. In contrast, the abuse of alcohol by FTEs essentially remained unchanged from the previous year.

For purposes of the NSDUH Survey, illicit drug use includes marijuana use, which under federal law remains an illicit drug. The Survey results therefore very likely reflect marijuana’s increasing social acceptance at the state level, where more than half the states now permit marijuana use for recreational and/or medical purposes.

As has been the case with previous annual NSDUH Surveys, employment status – full-time, part-time, or unemployed – is an important factor impacting the likelihood of Survey respondents to engage in illicit drug use, alcohol abuse, or both, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which conducts the annual Survey. In addition to employment status, the Survey also breaks down the collected data into demographic comparisons by gender, race/ethnicity, and education level.

Members of the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC) can read more here.