Twenty million workers, employed or unemployed, are affected by doping at work. Interview with Gladys Lutz, president of the Addictology and work association.
Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, the consumption of these substances could be avoided thanks to more communication within the company. This is explained by researcher Gladys Lutz, president of the Addictology and work association.
Why Doctor: What are the consequences of consuming these doping products?
Gladys Lutz: Paradoxically, this consumption improves presenteeism. For several professions, they help employees to come to work, when we work shifted schedules for example, they sometimes help to manage everything we have to do outside of work or they help to sleep and therefore be more safe. form. What we also observe is the increase in musculoskeletal disorders, the consumption of psychotropic products will help people to do their job. We have people who use cannabis as a pain reliever, for example.
But is there no increase in burnouts or work accidents?
It depends. There are particular uses, consumption is occasional, the dose adapted to the need to remain in working capacity. Of course, there are cases where the situation drifts. The product is initially favorable, it helps to adapt better to work, to avoid sick leave or work accident and it works. Until the moment the person loses control. At this time, other factors can also come into account, reasons which are related to the individual.
How to prevent this kind of behavior?
There needs to be more dialogue within the company. There are occupational health prevention bodies, but there is little or no room for dialogue, so that employees can express their difficulties. Doping at work is the symptom of a disarticulation between health prevention at work and real work. That is to say that health prevention does not include a space where we really talk about work, the decisions that are taken. While the first to know in terms of health and safety at work, it is the worker himself. We therefore recommend creating conditions for discussions within the company where everyone (managers, human resources director, employees, etc.) talks concretely about how work is built, how to protect one’s health, and what is wrong. not.
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