Substance Misuse

Recreational drug use is far more common in society today than it was even ten years ago. The term drug misuse also encompasses improper use of prescription and over the counter medicines as well as illegal drugs. Drugs can have a negative effect on an employee’s ability to carry out a job effectively.

• Around one-third (34.6%) of adults aged 16 to 59 had taken drugs at some point during their lifetime.
• Around 1 in 29 (3.5%) of adults aged 16 to 59 had taken a Class A drug in the last year.
• Around 1 in 5 (19.8%) adults aged 16 to 24 had taken a drug in the last year. This proportion was more than double that of the wider age group, and equates to around 1.2 million people.

Ref: Home Office Drug Misuse: 2017/18 Crime Survey for England and Wales