For those who have never experimented with illegal drugs, it can be tempting to judge individuals who do. It’s easy to be critical when faced with headlines detailing overdoses, drug-related accidents or impaired driving incidents. However, it’s essential to approach the many issues surrounding drugs with empathy and understanding.
A little education about drugs
Before we look more deeply into why people take drugs, it’s important to point out that almost all of us do take a drug, in one form and perhaps many.
While many of us think of drugs as illegal substances, most are not illegal and in some cases are lifesavers. Even coffee can be considered a drug. While there are some who do consider coffee a lifesaver, that role is reserved for medications that help people lead more normal lives and, in some cases, extend lives.
Apart from medications, there are also legal drugs that are like illegal drugs in that they are recreational. Coffee can be included in this list, along with tobacco and of course alcohol.
Illegal drug use labels not helpful
When we specifically look at why people use illegal drugs – like cannabis, methamphetamines, heroin and cocaine – labels like addict, junkie and irresponsible are often used. Not only are these labels unhelpful, they’re also not accurate.
Drug use is often rooted in complex factors such as social influences, peer pressure, mental health issues, trauma or simply curiosity. Individuals may turn to drugs as a coping mechanism to escape stress, numb emotional pain or seek temporary relief from life’s challenges.
Additionally, societal factors like poverty, inequality and lack of access to resources can contribute to drug use patterns.
By acknowledging the underlying reasons why people turn to drugs, we can move away from stigmatisation and towards more compassionate and effective approaches to drug prevention, intervention and treatment. Empathy and education are essential tools in addressing drug-related issues and supporting individuals in making healthier choices.
Who takes illegal drugs?
Determining who uses illegal drugs isn’t straightforward. This is partly because drug use is so widespread and it isn’t confined to only the young, as many believe.
While young adults are the most likely group to use illicit drugs in Australia, their use is dropping. In a recent large-scale survey conducted in 2022-2023, it was found young people aged 14 to 29 were less likely to have used an illicit drug in the previous year than people of the same age in 2001.
Meanwhile, the median age of people using illicit drugs is going up. When comparing 2001 National Drug Strategy Household Survey data with data in 2022-2023, the median age of illicit drug users rose from 27.8 to 33.
Attempting to categorize drug use based on factors like socioeconomic status, race, gender or occupation is also relatively futile.
Key messages on illegal drugs for workplaces
If you’re a business owner or manager, what’s the key message to take from this information? What can you do to protect your business from the scourge of illegal drugs.
When it comes to protecting your workplace, it’s vital to have a robust drug and alcohol management policy and procedures in place. And, if you work in a high-risk industry, you should be conducting drug and alcohol testing.
You can’t tell by looking at an employee or by knowing their age, gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic status whether they could be an illegal drug user. You also can’t tell whether they may be unsafe to be at work because they’ve been drinking or taking drugs. The only way to tell is through testing.
In addition, workplace drug and alcohol testing isn’t enough. You should be providing education for your employees. Inform them of your drug and alcohol policy, the drug testing you conduct and their responsibilities under workplace safety laws. Explain to them the dangers of drugs and alcohol in the workplace.
Ideally, you should also provide support for those who are struggling with alcohol or drug issues. If you’re a smaller company you might struggle to provide this support in-house, but there are drug and alcohol support services provided by governments and within the community you can draw upon.
FEATURED IMAGE CAPTION:
You can’t identify an illegal drug user by knowing their age, gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Credit Naassom Azevedo https://unsplash.com/photos/group-of-people-sitting-on-bench-near-trees-duting-daytime-Q_Sei-TqSlc
