Alcohol and drug use are at crisis levels in the U.S. A 2021 Quit Genius
Seventy-five percent worked remotely at some point during the pandemic, and 38% reported drinking more alcohol during the pandemic. Additionally, 18% reported taking more drugs during the pandemic.
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People working remotely during the pandemic were more likely to report increased alcohol and drug use:
- 51% have increased their alcohol intake (versus 38% overall)
- 37% have increased their drug intake (versus 18% overall)
- Over 1 in 4 remote workers reported going to work impaired by alcohol, drugs or both, a rate that is 3.7x more likely in remote workers than non-remote workers, and 3.5x higher in men than women
Fortunately, as substance use disorders have increased, employee benefit managers have responded with more and better treatment options for their employees. A new program that many managers are exploring is harm reduction.
There are two types of programs for treating substance abuse. One focuses on helping people achieve total abstinence (remember “Just Say No”?), and the other aims for harm reduction — meaning, decreasing or limiting substance use rather than eliminating it. At
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Viewed as the more modern approach by many, harm reduction is about meeting the patient where they are, because not all patients are initially ready, willing and able to completely abstain from substances such as tobacco, alcohol or opioids. Physicians who subscribe to the harm reduction approach are still willing to treat those patients, to put them on a path towards better health, and motivate them to change their habits and behavior over time.
Often, once a patient has reduced their substance use, physicians or counselors (with the support of a patient’s family and friends) are able to persuade the person to continue on the journey towards eventual total abstinence. As a physician, I have personally accompanied patients on that journey many times.
One component of harm reduction is Medication-Assisted Treatment — using prescription medications such as Buprenorphine, an FDA-approved medication to treat Opioid Use Disorder, and Naltrexone, an FDA-approved medication to treat both alcohol use disorder and OUD. Combined with counseling and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, MAT has been
Many inpatient and outpatient programs are strictly abstinence focused, and won’t accept patients with harm reduction goals or provide MAT. If this is the only type of program offered under your benefits, you are excluding a large subset of employees who may need help.
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It’s important for employee benefit managers to offer both types of programs — abstinence and harm reduction — because I guarantee you have both types of patients in your employee base.
In 2021, the
For benefit managers evaluating programs, ask specialty care providers about the principles of harm reduction. Whether you believe in the approach personally or not, I urge you to make at least one harm reduction program available to your employees, as it could make all the difference between recovery and a downward spiral for many.
