Business and IndustryThere is possibly no group of individuals more aware of the major practical problems that alcohol and other drug abuse cause in a community than businessmen and businesswomen. Losses to business from lost time, illness, missing supplies and lost productivity have been estimated at over $100 billion. Managers of -workers are quite aware of the serious problems for all employees which arise with the alcohol and other drug abuse of a single employee. While the focus of national attention has been on protecting our youth from substance abuse, it should be noted that the major alcohol and other drug abuse in oui-- nation is among gainfully employed individuals between the ages of 19 and 35. Couple this with the fact that most managers are from a generation that was not plagued by drug abuse and have little experiential knowledge of the signs or effects of drug use and you have a formula for legitimate concern.Business owners also have a responsibility to the community al-. large. Supporting the education of youth by the school system is not an adequate response from local merchants. Championing the efforts of others while failing; to address the problem personally is merely a patronizing gesture. While children are educated about drugs in their schools, adults must be approached in their regular environment which, for most, is work. Also, every individual has the right to work in a drug-free environment. The responsibility for the maintenance of that environment is the employer's or owner's. So, the responsibility of business and industry to drug prevention is major in any community. A business leader or manager concerned about addressing the problem of substance abuse in their business and, the community can consider some or all of these actions:
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