Addiction curtails health of many Fremont businesses

Ann was able to balance her addictions with her work life for 15 years.

Sure, she often switched jobs, but like 70 percent of drug abusers in America, the 40-year-old kept finding somewhere to work. Ann is a pseudonym, as she asked to remain anonymous due to concerns about her current job.

Ann had managed her addiction to pills and alcohol until three years ago when her drug use shifted to shooting up heroin while living in Pennsylvania. She began prostituting to feed her habit and became homeless, spurring her to get help and eventually move near family in Mansfield.

"You can't really get the help you need until you're ready yourself," she said.

Her longtime use while working isn't unique. According to a recent online survey of 500 people by Mashable via SurveyMonkey, nearly 10 percent reported smoking marijuana before work and 28 percent said they had used prescription medication.

As a result, some businesses are struggling to find and, in some cases, retain employees who aren't getting high.

Which is a key reason the Sandusky County Economic Development Corporation encouraged businesses to vote for a mental health levy, which finally passed on its eighth try last year.

"We really pushed on our end to encourage the manufacturers to encourage their employees to vote for the levy. I have to believe it did have an impact because the levy did pass," said Kay Reiter, economic development corporation executive director.

Scope of the problem

In 2013, the National Survey on Drug Use reported nearly 22 million people (8.2 percent of Americans) 12 and older had a substance abuse disorder and 70 percent of them were working. And since most are working, they cost employers an estimated $81 billion each year for a variety of issues from increased medical costs to decreased productivity.

Nationally, there was a 5.7 percent increase in positive workplace drug tests in 2013, the first increase Quicken Diagnostics had reported since 2003.

Although Quicken hasn't released state-level data, Adena Occupational Health in Chillicothe, whose medical review officer reviews drug test results for companies across the nation, reported that 3.5 percent of more than 4,000 tests each year come back positive. Marijuana, opiates and Oxycodone were most common drugs found.

"We've had people go through hiring steps, send for a drug test and they failed it. They say, 'I thought I stopped long enough ago that I would pass,'" said Brad Hutchinson, co-owner of Carroll-based Company Wrench.

Not all businesses screen for drugs and even those that do, don't after hiring someone. A 2011 survey of more than 1,000 human resources professionals revealed that although 57 percent worked for businesses that did pre-employment drug testing, 64 percent responded there was no post-employment drug testing, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.

And the issue with drugs is being cited across industries from restaurants to even law enforcement.

"Even we're having difficulties finding applicants without a drug history," said Mansfield Police Chief Ken Coontz.

CDC behavioral risk surveys from 2006 to 2012 indicate about 21 percent of Sandusky County residents reported excessive drinking, which is two or more drinks daily for men and one or more for women, compared to 18 percent statewide.

And while Sandusky County's drug overdose rate from 2008 to 2013 was 10.2 per 100,000, about five less than the state, in 2013 local physicians prescribed opiates at a rate of 56.8 doses per resident, up from 54.6 doses in 2010.

What's a business to do?

In response, more than half of American employers are conducting pre-employment drug testing, according to a 2011 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management.

"Most employers think they are doing something about (providing a) drug-free workplace," said Dee Mason, founder of Reynoldsburg-based Working Partners, a drug-free workplace consulting firm.

What that looks like can vary, but Mason feels the most effective program has not only drug testing, but a written policy and annual education sessions for employees. Another important component is an employee assistance plan, which employees can consult anonymously to get connected to drug treatment and other resources to cope with life issues.

Ohio's Bureau of Workers Compensation encourages businesses to have an extensive drug-free workplace program by offering a premium rebate up to 7 percent. The requirements include a written policy, drug testing, education, and employee assistance.

Between 2008 and 2012, 81 percent of full-time workers reported their employer had a written policy; 45 percent received educational materials; and 60 percent had access to an employee assistance plan, according to a 2014 report from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Workforce priority

In January, state officials kicked off Start Talking! BIZ in an effort to pool resources for Ohio businesses looking for ways to combat drug issues. Mason's company was tapped to spearhead the development of the program, which includes an email program with tips geared toward businesses.

"It's started some phenomenal discussions," Mason said.

It's also started a pilot project in the Marion-Crawford county area focused on bringing the treatment and business community together to connect users with information. The idea is when someone fails a pre-employment drug test, the business will provide information on where to get treatment.

"Obviously you're not going to hire them, but you turn them onto (getting treatment) … (This pilot) is really about workforce development," Mason said.

The program is modeled after an initiative Working Partners did in the Allen, Auglaize and Hardin county area.

Second chances

Many times a positive drug test results in termination, especially for federally regulated industries such as transportation and businesses that are very safety-sensitive.

At Kenworth, a heavy truck manufacturer in Chillicothe, plant manager Judy McTigue said they can't risk bringing someone back not only due to plant safety, but because they need to ensure their product is safe out on the highway.

"The best thing for an employee is to ask for help either from our human resources department or from the assistance program. Once it becomes an employment issue, it's going to end in termination," McTigue said, noting they've been boosting awareness of those options.

Promoting assistance programs was a recommendation in a 2014 report from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health where they found full-time workers ages 18 to 25 were less likely to know about the program despite having a higher substance abuse rate than older adults.

Dawn and Karman Zarbakhsh, who own Papa Johns franchises in Chillicothe and Lancaster, on occasion have tried to work with employees who are battling addiction.

"We try to do what we can because a lot of times a person isn't a thief, but they will be," Karman Zarbakhsh said.

Anytime they've offered help to an employee, the person signs a contract that outlines what they have to do to maintain employment, which includes getting treatment and random drug screens. The Zarbakhshes' view is they are not only helping themselves and their employee, but hopefully the community.

Reiter hasn't heard of businesses offering second chances in the Sandusky County area. Instead she's heard some moving from the most prevalent pre-screen drug test, urine, to hair because it retains signs of use much longer.

Some also are asking police to bring their trained dogs through to check for drugs.

"They're trying to make it very obvious in the workplace that (drug use) is not tolerated," Reiter said.

The value for second chances to employers is not only possibly salvaging training investment in an employee, but it also can engender loyalty, Mason said.

"You've saved their life," she said.

For Ann, it's the vocational rehabilitation at Progress Industries in Mansfield that helps keep her inspired despite lapses in her recovery. Aside from employment, they've helped connect her with other resources and she recently moved into her own home.

"I didn't think it was possible. I pictured myself dying from addiction … I would not have gotten the job I have now had I not had the opportunity to work with (Progress Industries)," Ann said.

Jessie Balmert contributed to this report.

jison@Gannett.com

Twitter: @JonaIson

Past month illicit drug use

Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2013

Start Talking! BIZ

Have a business and want tips to stay on top of drug issues and new free resources for employers? Signup for emailed BIZ Tips at starttalking.ohio.gov/Business.

Employees on drugs

Studies show there are many signs of employee substance abuse. Some clues to look for include:

•Change jobs frequently.

•Be late to or absent from work.

•Be less productive.

•Be involved in a workplace accident and potentially harm others.

•File a workers' compensation claim.

Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse

Five to thrive

This package is a part of our year-long look into the five most pressing issues for Sandusky County. It details the struggles businesses face with employees battling addiction, and the efforts communities across Ohio are taking to help.

Other installments of this series are:

• Closing the skills gap

• Making the community primed for success

• Developing downtown

• Embracing diversity

Find all of our content for this series at www.thenews-messenger.com.com/future.

More inside

See page 5A to see how some alcohol and drug abuse treatment programs across Ohio are trying to help recovering addicts become skilled, valuable employees.

Coming Monday

How the legalization of marijuana is affecting company drug testing.