Of the 46 million Americans who struggle with at least one substance-use disorder, most—some 60% of those over the age of 12—have a job, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. That’s an uncomfortable and largely unacknowledged reality in American business, where talking about addiction to alcohol or drugs has traditionally been taboo.
Even though substance-use disorder is a protected status under the Americans With Disabilities Act (so long as an individual is not currently engaged in the illegal use of drugs) studies show that many avoid acknowledging it for fear of getting fired or being judged harshly at work, and the stigma can even be a barrier to those seeking treatment.
