Substance abuse and its effects in working life

Alcohol is still the most commonly used substance among Finns. People who use other substances often also use alcohol. This is referred to as polysubstance use. Mixing drugs and alcohol is also an increasingly common problem in working life. This is referred to as drug abuse.

Alcohol consumption has significant annual economic impacts on both public health and work productivity. Alcohol causes various health problems, mood disorders, occupational accidents and injuries. One third of the costs related to alcohol consumption are directly incurred by the employers. (Numerot puhuvat report 2023, in Finnish only).

Alcohol can affect working life from both the employee’s and the employer’s perspective. It is therefore important to understand the different effects of alcohol on working life and to promote a healthy and safe working environment. The employer should invest in prevention, i.e. provide researched information and training to all employees.

From the employer’s point of view, an effective means of preventing alcohol-related harm is to ensure that the use of alcohol is discussed in occupational health care. The employer can also significantly reduce alcohol-related harm by ensuring that a reliable substance abuse programme is in place.

In the long term, excessive use of alcohol can lead to increased occupational safety risks and increased health problems, leading to more sickness absences. The resulting impaired concentration and performance can create tension in the work community and lead to a loss of trust and conflicts with colleagues and the employer.

Risk limits have been set for alcohol consumption (elevated alcohol risk and high alcohol risk)

In Finland, one serving of alcohol corresponds to 33 cl of medium-strength beer, 12 cl of wine, 8 cl of fortified wine or 4 cl of spirits.

The use of drugs in the workplace is illegal and a violation of workplace rules. Like alcohol, drugs can pose occupational safety risks. Drugs affect the brain and central nervous system. They can impair the ability to make decisions, pay attention and think clearly.

The effects of drugs on the performance of work can vary depending on the type of drug, dosage and individual effects:

• Cannabis can slow down reaction speed and impair concentration and short-term memory.
• The use of opioids can cause incoherence, nausea and drowsiness.
• Hallucinogens (e.g. mushrooms and LSD) can lead to hallucinations and mood changes.
• Amphetamine and methamphetamine can increase alertness and energy levels, but also cause anxiety and aggression.
• Cocaine can increase self-confidence and energy levels in the short term, but it can also cause restlessness and cardiac symptoms.

Behavioural addictions have to do with a dependence on activities that produce immediate satisfaction, which may not necessarily involve the consumption of a chemical substance. Gambling is an example of this type of addiction. The effects of behavioural addictions can be equally as harmful as substance-related dependencies, and they can affect work in various ways.

Behavioural addictions are associated with a strong desire or compulsion to perform an activity. The formation of dependence is based on the brain’s reward system. The activity will initially produce pleasure, which later turns to preventing negative feelings. The activity may become uncontrollable, and it may become more difficult to stop it despite the harm it causes. A behavioural addiction may become a dominant part of life and, thereby, affect things such as work ability or coping with everyday life. Behavioural addiction limits a person’s ability to concentrate on work tasks, for example, as the dependence makes it hard to think about anything else. There is training available for employers and employees on how to identify and respond to behavioural addiction.

The term brain doping (nootropics, cognitive doping) refers to when a healthy person abuses drugs to improve their cognitive performance. These drugs are used to improve memory, alertness, learning, creativity or the efficiency of studying or working, for example. The use of brain doping may also be motivated by maintaining holistic brain health. In recent years, the use of brain doping has become more common, especially among students, but also among people working in cognitively demanding professions.

For medical purposes, medicines intended to improve cognitive performance are used to treat various diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD, depression and schizophrenia. The efficacy and necessity of these drugs have been scientifically proven in people with learning or memory disorders. In contrast, several adverse effects have been found in relation to the use of these substances in healthy persons.

According to the research, the use of brain doping would not be particularly beneficial in working life, and it may, in fact, do more harm than good to healthy individuals. The effect of drugs that enhance cognitive performance is typically based on their brain-stimulating effect, which is why they often also accelerate vital functions. As a result, brain doping can put a strain on the body and cause symptoms such as heart palpitations, arrhythmia, insomnia and headaches. In addition, they can cause psychological side effects such as agitation, anxiety, aggression and, after stopping use, depression, for example. Brain-stimulating substances are also strongly associated with addictions, and long-term use in particular has been found to have potentially negative effects on cognitive performance and learning. Overloading of the body caused by prolonged use can also lead to fatigue and burnout.