Surging alcohol and marijuana sales and a lack of access to traditional support networks during the pandemic could lead to a number of individuals returning to the workplace with substance abuse issues, experts say.
“Whenever we have a traumatic situation like COVID-19, people often fall back on maladaptive behaviors,” said Perry Halkitis, dean and public health psychologist at the Rutgers School of Public Health in Piscataway, New Jersey. “Many people — especially during crises — turn to various substances to ameliorate the stresses and emotions they are experiencing.”
Data also shows that many are turning to substances — both legal and illegal — to manage that stress, anxiety and depression. Sales of alcoholic beverages in March were up 55% in 2020 compared with March 2019, according to marketing research firm The Nielsen Co., and at least one state with legalized marijuana — Washington — reported record sales during the pandemic.
Noting the trend, the National Safety Council released a statement urging employers to brace for increases in worker substance misuse. The safety organization also encourages employers to implement substance abuse policies and procedures as part of their return-to-work strategies.
“People are using more substances, drinking more during the quarantine. … This is unprecedented,” said Rachael Cooper, senior program manager with the National Safety Council in Itasca, Illinois. “We don’t know what will transfer back to the workplace. Just because somebody goes back to work doesn’t mean everything they’ve experienced (during the lockdown) goes away.”
For people with pre-existing substance use issues, events such as a pandemic can “be very triggering, and we’re very concerned for relapse,” said Vaile Wright, senior director for health care innovation at the American Psychological Association.
Just before the lockdowns went into effect, many pharmacy benefit managers lifted their restrictions on highly controlled drugs like opioids and benzodiazepines, which allowed some workers to refill those prescriptions sooner than usual, causing some concern for potential abuse, said Dr. Teresa Bartlett, Troy, Michigan-based senior vice president of medical quality for third-party administrator Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc.
“A lot of people did turn to alcohol and drugs,” she said. “I think there will be a lot of unintended consequences (of the pandemic). … A lot of them we haven’t yet seen.”
