Drugs Don't Work

The DRUGS DON’T WORK Program was initiated in August 1994 in the Kansas City area as a joint effort among the National Drugs Don’t Work Partnership, COMBAT anti-drug tax, Project NeighborHOOD, Sprint, and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Its primary purpose is to actively involve businesses in the battle to eliminate substance abuse from their workplaces and in the communities in which they do business.

Drug abuse continues to permeate American society, and is inextricably linked to virtually every other major social problem facing this country — from violence and child abuse, to healthcare costs, worker productivity and economic competitiveness. If there are to be solutions to any problem so deeply rooted in our culture, those answers must come from a cooperative alliance among all important civic institutions, including business.

Business Involvement
The recognition that businesses must be involved and play a major role has increased sharply in the past few years. Workplaces have been undervalued and under-utilized as an access vehicle to a huge percentage of the adult population. In fact, business represents the largest untapped mechanism in the country to fully engage in the fight against drug abuse. In addition, it is surprising to some that 74 percent of all illegal drug users are employed, and it costs American businesses from 75 to 100 billion dollars each year in lost productivity, theft and higher expenses. In Kansas City, substance abuse costs businesses more than $500 million per year.

Drug-Free Workplaces
The Chamber’s DRUGS DON’T WORK Program is part of a 26-state initiative with more than 13,000 businesses involved nationally. Locally the program has nearly 300 subscribers, representing the lives of more than 67,000 workers.

Manager and Supervisor Training
More than 350 managers and supervisors have participated in training sessions for dealing with drugs in the workplace. Three different sessions are offered:

(1) Substance Abuse Prevention and Detection — The Drug-Free Workplace Act is reviewed and drug testing options are discussed. Strategies for intervention and the role employee assistance programs can play in saving valuable employees are discussed.

(2) Supervisory training workshop addresses critical skills needed to manage employees.

(3) Alcohol & Other Drugs at Work: What Supervisors Should Know provides supervisors education on various substances of abuse, effects and signs of use. Managers and supervisors learn how to use the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as a management tool.

Employee Assistance Program
Saint Luke’s Shawnee Mission Health System provides the EAP services for the DRUGS DON’T WORK Program and the management training sessions. Three-fourths of the management referrals were successful in resolving their problem and improving job performance.

Funding
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce helps fund the DRUGS DON’T WORK Program, along with other corporate and public sources including Sprint, LabOne, Butler Manufacturing, Hallmark Cards and the Jackson County COMBAT Anti-Drug Tax Fund.

Representatives
The Steering Committee, chaired by Michael Rainen, president of Rainen Business Interiors, serves as a resource for volunteers from business, law enforcement and community agencies in Greater Kansas City.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

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In FY98 . . .

	Of the 928 employees enrolled in the Drugs Don’t Work model, 44 have been seen in conjunction with the EAP.
	Of those, 40 were self-referrals and four were referred by management.
	Nine of the participants had a drug/alcohol problem.
	Three of the four management referrals successfully resolved their problem and improved job performance.

For additional information on the
DRUGS DON’T WORK Program, or to find out
how your business can participate, call
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, 816/221-2424.