Hello everyone,

How i have missed you guys and my blooging. i have been busy and so many things took me away from my hobby lol (don't say am too known). the week has been so so so busy, but let me not bore you guys with this speech.

During my absence i have been thinking on a topic acually it's just a classwork given to me by my lecturer  “Alcohol and Drug Abuse ”in the business settings. This has really caught my attention and i began researching and writing on it. This is what i have......

An alcoholic is anyone who suffers from the disease of alcoholism. Alcoholism is a physical condition whereby the body of an alcoholic has become physiologically dependent on alcohol. Alcoholism is a physical condition and the active alcoholic is in the throws of a true physical addiction. Alcoholics cannot control their drinking habits and will often drink compulsively

Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing.

Like many other diseases, alcoholism is progressive and can become deadly. If left untreated, an alcoholic is at risk of developing serious health problems. Alcohol affects all the organs in the body, particularly the liver, heart, and pancreas. It also affects brain functioning and, in extreme cases, can cause brain damage.

There are some alcoholics that may be aware that their drinking is problematic. They may have tried to quit on their own but have failed at their attempts. Unfortunately, many alcoholics will suffer from feelings of hopelessness and depression due to their inability to quick drinking on their own. Other alcoholics will simply deny that they have a drinking problem whatsoever. Alcoholics can come up with a number of excuses to justify their drinking, i.e. blaming it on work, stress or a relationship. Their denial can be so powerful that they simply cannot see how much their drinking is causing negative consequences in their life.

Many people do not understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. It can be wrongfully assumed that drug abusers lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop using drugs simply by choosing to change their behavior. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting takes more than good intentions. In fact, because drugs change the brain in ways that foster compulsive drug abuse, quitting is difficult, even for those who are ready to do so.

Drug abuse is a disease characterized by continued misuse of drugs even when faced with drug-related job, legal, health, or family difficulties. Problems associated with drug abuse must have existed a minimum of 12 months to meet the diagnosis.

Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the addicted individual and to those around him or her. Although the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, the brain changes that occur over time challenge a person’s self control and ability to resist intense impulses urging them to take drugs. Examples are Cocaine, Heroin, Marijuana etc

 Drug abuse and addiction have negative consequences for individuals, for society and for the organization. Estimates of the total overall costs of substance abuse in the United States, including productivity and health- and crime-related costs, exceed $600 billion annually. This includes approximately $181 billion for illicit drugs, $193 billion for tobacco, and $235 billion for alcohol. As staggering as these numbers are, they do not fully describe the breadth of destructive public health and safety implications of drug abuse and addiction, such as family disintegration, loss of employment, failure in school, domestic violence, and child abuse.

According to Scanlon (1986), employee alcoholism and drug abuse are estimated to cost American business at least $26 billion total; ($16 billion and $10 billion respectively), with $16 billion of this total cost directly related to lost employee productivity, absenteeism, medical expenses, disability claims, and corporate theft. Furthermore, more recent data show that drinking problems cost employers $2,500 per employee per year in productivity losses, absenteeism, and disability benefit claims, amounting to $15 to $20 billion a year (Scanlon, 1991). All of these costs are ultimately passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices and/or higher taxes.  According to Lipman, 1995, “Employers pay dearly for drug abuse problems in the workplace. Drug abuse seriously erodes an employer's financial standing and reduces a company's ability to compete, costing businesses $60 billion each year.

There is no cure for drug abuse or drug addiction. Although there are three main treatment goals. To help patients stop using drugs, to decrease the toxic effects of the drugs being used and to aid in symptoms of drug withdrawal (“detoxification”) to prevent relapse. Successful treatment depends on the drug user's recognition of the problem and desire to change. Recovery takes a long time and is not an easy process. Patients may need multiple courses of treatment.

 And after writing on this i say to myself, this is where human resource management will have to come in, as an HR manager this is what they have to do....

·         Give the employee counselling.

·         Let them go through training.

·         Always check the performance preview records, with that the HR manager can be able to check on their work performance and know who lacks behind and the cause.

·         Document their charcter and attitude towards work just incase of any court case, cos those emplyees are educated and can hite back when they feel you want to fire them.

·         And do not discriminate base on their problem

......TO BE CONT.