Dr.

Ameer Alhusuny

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH &SAFETY M.B.Ch.B; M.Sc,(Occ.Med.) UPM

Smoking, Alcohol and Drug-Free Workplace

Employee Education

Smoke-Free Workplace
Secondhand Smoke (SHS)
• 1986 Surgeon General’s Report: SHS identified as a cause of disease in non-
smokers.
• 1993 EPA Report: SHS designated as a Class A (known human) carcinogen.
• Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 substances, more than 40 are known
carcinogens.

Secondhand Smoke (SHS)

• Health effects in nonsmoking adults:
– lung cancer
– heart diseases
• Health effects in children:
– Asthma
– Ear infections
– Bronchitis and pneumonia
– Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Health effects in infants:
– Low birth weight, Pre-term delivery
– Nasal sinus cancer, Breast cancer

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Why Restrict Smoking?
• Reduce exposure to SHS (air pollution)
• Reduce amount smoked
• Increase quit attempts
• Support those trying to quit
• Reduce craving & withdrawal
• Increase successful quitting
• Lower healthcare and/or insurance costs
• Reduce youth initiation
• Increase community smoking restrictions
• Promote pro-health message
• Demonstrate caring/concern, sincere commitment
– Customers’ (patients’) well-being comes first
– Staff enjoyment of break areas

Drug at Workplace
 Abuse: Using a substance to modify or control mood or state
of mind in a manner that is illegal or harmful to oneself or
others.
 Potential consequences of abuse
include:
• Accidents or injuries
• Blackouts
• Legal problems
• Poor job performance
• Family problems
• Sexual behavior that increases the risk of HIV infection

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  Addiction:
The irresistible compulsion to use drugs despite adverse consequences. It is
characterized by repeated failure to control use, increased tolerance and increased
disruption in the family.
For one in ten people, abuse leads to addiction. Addiction to drugs is:
 Chronic
 Progressive
 Primary
 Terminal
 Characterized by denial

Signs and Symptoms of Substance Abuse

Abuse of drugs affects people:
 Emotionally like (Aggression, Burnout , Anxiety, Depression, Paranoia , Denial)
 Behaviorally like:
• Slow reaction time
• Impaired coordination
• Slowed or slurred speech
• Irritability
• Excessive talking
• Inability to sit still
• Limited attention span
• Poor motivation or lack of energy
 Physically like (Weight loss, Sweating, Chills, Smell of alcohol)

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Specific Drugs of Abuse
• Marijuana
• Inhalants
• Cocaine
• Stimulants Depressants
• Hallucinogens
• Narcotics
• Designer Drugs

Overview of Drug-Free Workplace Policy

The Drug-Free Workplace Policy accomplishes two major things:
• Sends a clear message that drug use in the workplace is prohibited.
• Encourages employees who have problems with drugs to voluntarily seek help.

Alcohol at Workplace
• Employers have a legitimate interest in alcohol use amongst their employees in
a restricted set of circumstances only. These
circumstances are:
(i) where employees are engaging in illegal activities in the workplace;
(ii) where employees are actually intoxicated in work hours;
(iii) Where alcohol use is (otherwise) having a demonstrable impact on employees'
performance that goes beyond a threshold of acceptability;
(iv) where the nature of the work is such that any responsible employer would be
expected to take all reasonable steps to minimise the risk of accident;
(v) where the nature of the work is such that the public is entitled to expect a higher
than average standard of behaviour from employees and/or there is a risk of
vulnerability to corruption (for example, in the police or prison service).

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Potential Effects of Excessive Drink
 High blood pressure
 Cancer
 Cirrhosis of liver
 Ulceration
 Haemorrhage
 Neuropathy
 Myopathy
 Mental ill health
 Social decline
 Premature death

Alcohol Use and Occupation

 Licensees
 Hotel & Catering
 Seamen
 Armed Services
 Sales Representatives
 Brewers & Distillers
 Journalists
 Medical Practitioners

Alcohol and Performance

 Absenteeism
 Below-par performance
 Interference with training
 Higher turnover rates
 Accidents