One in 12 full-time workers in America acknowledge having used illegal drugs in the past month, government workers reported... after smoking a dubie.
When you factor in folks that are straight up lying, it's really like one in four!
Most of those who report using illicit drugs are employed full-time, with the highest rates among restaurant workers (code for Latinos), 17.4 percent, and construction workers (code for non-college educated White boys), 15.1 percent, according to a federal study being released Monday.
About 4 percent of teachers and social service workers reported using illegal drugs in the past month, which was among the lowest rates. (That's us, family!)
The latest study comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, an agency within the Health and Human Services Department. Joe Gfroerer, an agency official, said most of the illicit drug use involved marijuana.
Yeah, we would imagine it's pretty hard getting through the day "Shermed out," our messin' with that crystal meth!
Anne Skinstad, a researcher and clinical psychologist, called the survey's results "very worrisome" because there are fewer treatment programs than there used to be to assist employees and employers with a dependence on drugs.
Now Anne's an alcoholic, but we digress!
"Some employers want drug testing. I'm not sure that's the way I would like to go," said Skinstad. "What I think I would like to focus on is employee performance."
The study also showed that the prevalence of illegal drug use reported by full-time workers in the past month was highest among younger workers.
Nineteen percent of workers age 18 to 25 said they used illegal drugs during the past month, compared with 10.3 percent among those age 26 to 34; 7 percent among those age 35 to 49; and 2.6 percent among those age 50 to 64.
Men accounted for about two-thirds of the workers — 6.4 million — who reported using illegal drugs. Men were also more likely than women to report illegal drug use in the past month — 9.7 percent for men, versus 6.2 percent for women.
The study also looked at alcohol use by workers. About 10.1 million full-time workers, or 8.8 percent, reported heavy alcohol use. Heavy alcohol use was defined as drinking five or more drinks on one occasion at least five times in the past 30 days.
Skinstad had no comment on that data!