According to a report issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), substance and alcohol abuse has been negatively affecting key U.S. industries by way of lost productivity, workplace accidents and injuries, absenteeism, low morale and illness. A key finding of the report was that the mining and construction industries had the highest rates of abuse, even when relativized for gender and age across other industries. Will Wesch, Director of Admissions for Novus Medical Detox Center, says it’s important for every industry-and particularly those with high-risk occupations-to be vigilant against alcohol and drug abuse. Creating a uniform policy and drug-free training program would help to lower the percentage of workers who wrestle with abuse, and would help employers to be more effective at handling such situations.

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