Outlines a range of health promotion initiatives that can be used at the workplace to combat alcohol- and drug-related problems. Intended to provide both conceptual and practical guidance, the report draws upon numerous examples of programmes and strategies to show how health promotion at the workplace can help reduce the absenteeism, occupational morbidity, inefficiency on the job, and safety hazards so often linked to substance abuse. Throughout the report, emphasis is placed on the need to recognize both the multiplicity of factors that contribute to substance abuse and the diversity of cultural settings and attitudes to drinking and drug use around the world. In view of growing evidence linking adverse working conditions to the likelihood of alcohol- and drug-related problems, the report also points to the need to develop and maintain working conditions conducive to the well-being of the workforce as a whole. Background information is provided in the opening sections, which establish a framework of concepts and definitions and discuss factors that contribute to alcohol- and drug-related problems in the workplace. The most extensive section reviews a wide range of different programmes and strategies, across cultures and over time, in order to demonstrate various options for health promotion at the workplace, whether in developing countries or in the industrialized world, at the community level or in large enterprises. Concerning the controversial issue of mandatory screening and testing for drug use, the report cites a number of reasons why performance appraisal, with its emphasis on "fitness for work", is inherently preferable. Readers are also alerted to the particular vulnerability of certain occupational groups, including migrant workers, seafarers, shift workers, and workers in the retail alcoholic beverage industry and the pharmaceutical industry. Other sections point out the need for continuous evaluation of health promotion programmes, discuss the special demands of multicultural situations, and outline problems in developing countries, where a primary health care approach is presented as the most realistic option.

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WHODOC

WHO monograph

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