Drugs and The Workplace
Article by Drug Science,
For more information, visit https://www.drugscience.org.uk/
More and more people are beginning to use illicit drugs in the workplace as employees report increased levels of stress and burnout. People are switching from traditional energy boosters like caffeine and nicotine to harder and more dangerous drugs. This could lead to addiction, loss of jobs and decreased productivity in the long run.
These days it is hard to imagine drinking a beer or glass of wine at lunch, much less illegal drugs. The effects of alcohol cost the UK economy over £7 billion every year, and over one third of people report being aware that colleagues are under the influence of drugs (including alcohol) while at work, despite this cultural shift. This split largely comes down to social and legal outlooks on drugs. However, there is an increasing prevalence of ‘smart drugs’ being used by students and professionals alike.
These smart drugs, typically stimulants like Modafinil, Ritalin (methylphenidate) and Dextroamphetamine (a pharmaceutical version of amphetamine) promise to improve memory, cognition and performance. It is estimated that up to 20% of adults worldwide may be using smart drugs, and this figure is only expected to increase as demands of the workplace change.
Modafinil is a eugeroic (wakefulness promoting) drug approved in the UK for narcolepsy. Until 2014 it was also approved for the treatment of ADHD, but a review of its benefits and risks found that this was not supported. Modafinil will turn yellow/orange with our ecstasy test kit.
Ritalin is a stimulant medication approved for treatment of ADHD and narcolepsy. Ritalin/methylphenidate will turn orange with our ecstasy test kit.
Dextroamphetamine is a pharmaceutical version of amphetamine, similar to Adderall in the USA. The active ingredient is formed entirely from the d-enantiomer, whereas Adderall is a 3:1 mixture of l- and d-enantiomers and amphetamine typically seen on the street is a 1:1 mix of the two enantiomers. Amphetamine, including dextroamphetamine, will turn red/brown with our ecstasy test kit.
Cocaine may also be used to improve productivity at work. The UK uses the 2nd most cocaine per capita of any country in the world, though there is little data available on rates of use in the workplace. It seems likely that many people are deterred by the price and short duration of action, making it a challenging substance to use in the workplace. If you are using cocaine, or plan to, we offer test kits to test for the presence of cocaine and a test for common cocaine cutting agents.
Most of these drugs work on serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine receptors in the brain. They give a feeling of wakefulness or stimulation, leading people to feel increased levels of confidence, tire of work less quickly and may give a sense of improved performance. Unfortunately, the evidence may not support them. For people who do not have ADHD, there is little evidence that concentration and academic performance is improved when using prescription stimulants, and some cases like dissociative learning people’s results may even be worsened by the use of stimulant medications.
Some people may also use drugs which aren’t considered study drugs in the workplace if they are dependent on those drugs and are unable to stop using their drug of choice during the workday. Most employers have programmes in place to support you if you are unable to stop using drugs.
Many people use cannabis, and some people use cannabis while at work. This is likely due to recent changes in social views on cannabis. Research shows mixed outlooks on the effect of cannabis on workplace performance, and almost one third of people report having used cannabis at work (though this was a self-reported survey, so may have been self-selecting). You can test your cannabis with our cannabis drug testing kit.
Some people have medical cannabis prescriptions and matters revolving around prescribed medications are treated completely differently. We recommend checking out this report from Drug Science for more information on what to do if you are a patient who has been prescribed medical cannabis in the UK.
Risks and Harm Reduction
Perhaps the biggest risk with using drugs in the workplace is the threat of disciplinary action. Many employers, but not all, have programmes in place to support staff using drugs at work. It is worth checking your employer’s policy to get an idea of what support, if any, is available to you. If your employer screens for drug use you are more likely to be found out. Screening for drug use may lead some people to look for other drugs which are less commonly tested for. This can increase your risk if you are considering switching to Novel Psychoactive Substances, as there is less information available in terms of long-term risks and interactions, and many of these substances share metabolites with their more traditional counterparts, meaning that they may be detected anyway. Acting unusually at work can also illicit suspicion in your coworkers, so be cautious with your dose.
The NHS has guidance available if you are struggling with drug addiction.
Illicitly obtained study drugs, like all illicit drugs, have no regulation or oversight. This means that you are at risk of taking a drug which has been miss-sold, and may contain a completely different active ingredient or much more of the active ingredient than advertised. Our reagent test kits can help you determine what you have been sold and, in some cases, can give you an idea of its purity. Even if you trust your source, it is worth verifying the authenticity of anything purchased illegally.
Further reading
Coffee consumption in the UK - British United Provident Association Limited
Smoking at Work: The Law – Gov.uk
Alcohol in the Workplace – Alcohol Change UK
Spotlight on Drugs and Alcohol – CCS Best Practice Hub
Opinion: Fair play? How ‘smart drugs’ are making workplaces more competitive
Contextualizing study drugs - An exploratory study of perceptions and practices among study counselors, general practitioners, psychiatrists and from student polls
Modafinil – Drug Science
Modafinil (Provigil) Now restricted to Narcolepsy – Gov.uk
Methylphenidate – ScienceDirect
Dextroamphetamine – ScienceDirect
Study Drugs: Trick or Treat – British Pharmacological Society
Smart Drugs can Decrease Productivity in People who don’t have ADHD – Cambridge Research
Managing Drug and Alcohol Misuse at Work – Health and Safety Executive