Drug abuse starts making its way into the office<\/p>\n
By David and Joyce Djaelani Gordon<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The workplace -- how do you define it? For some
\nindividuals the workplace is a school or university; for others
\nit may mean home, a shop, an office, a factory, a market,
\nmilitary camp or police department.<\/p>\n
Today there are some 210 million plus people living in
\nIndonesia. A large proportion, about 60 percent, of these
\nmillions are part of the work force, or at least, are of working
\nage.<\/p>\n
A large number of those are likely to be abusing drugs, as
\ndrug abuse and drug addiction have now reached epidemic and
\ncrisis proportions from Sabang to Merauke.<\/p>\n
We are already seeing a soaring number of drug abusers and
\naddicts, individuals who are 30 years old and over, seeking
\ntreatment in our drug recovery programs and centers. These
\nindividuals are the workers, management and executives who are
\nthe backbone of the workplace. As the phenomenon of drug use and
\nabuse increases, so will the associated problems.<\/p>\n
These people are using drugs for recreation, pleasure and fun,
\nplus the after-work and weekend party-scene, and for relief from
\nsymptomatic related work stress, anxiety and overload.<\/p>\n
Another reason or excuse that many individuals manipulate to
\njustify using drugs is for \"business purposes\". This means having
\nto entertain business associates and clients with alcohol and
\ndrugs, all in the name of the job.<\/p>\n
Alcohol, although some may try to contest this point, is a
\ndrug, and often an abused drug. Not everyone who drinks has a
\nproblem with alcohol. However, those who get drunk semiregularly
\nor regularly, those who have blackouts (can't remember what they
\ndid or what they said while under the influence of alcohol) and
\nthose have direct problems regarding alcohol are considered to be
\nalcohol abusers or alcoholics.<\/p>\n
Drug use and drug abuse will become even more problematic in
\nthe workplace shortly, as today's younger generation, those who
\nhave already become a faithful part of the current and emerging
\nIndonesian drug subculture, and are using a variety of drugs
\ntoday, will become tomorrow's workforce.<\/p>\n
The most used and abused drugs in the workplace presently are
\nalcohol, marijuana, ecstasy, barbiturates (tranquilizers) and
\nshabu-shabu (methamphetamine). The latter is rapidly becoming the
\n\"drug of choice\" with the executive class (which includes both
\nmales and females). All of these drugs are easy to obtain in and
\naround any large business building or complex, medium-sized or
\nlarge hotel, marketplace, entertainment center, disco or night
\nspot, shopping center or mall, and most local hangouts.<\/p>\n
To consider that drug abuse and drug addiction cannot and will
\nnot affect multitudes of men and women in the workplace is at
\nbest naive, and at worst enormously foolish. Young people and the
\nworking classes are the two primary habitats where drug abuse and
\naddiction strikes with the most severity.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, we must also recognize that education about drug
\nabuse and addiction, as well as education about sex and sexuality
\nstill remains almost nonexistent within our school and
\neducational systems, and religious institutions.<\/p>\n
It is this lack of education that inflames and greatly
\ncompounds the predicament we face today with drug abuse and
\naddiction, and substantially increases the risk of exposure and
\nbecoming infected with HIV\/AIDS and hepatitis C.<\/p>\n
The type of workplace where drug abuse and addiction are most
\nnoticeably increasing is the large factory (especially where
\nthere are shift changes and late night shifts). Also, middle and
\nupper-middle class employees and higher managerial and elite
\nbusiness executives are often affected.<\/p>\n
Drug abuse and addiction are considerably more complicated,
\ncostly and lethal in the workplace because of the HIV\/AIDS and
\nhepatitis C pandemics raging throughout our nation.<\/p>\n
There are three major factors that lead people into using
\ndrugs:<\/p>\n
The Pleasure Factor: Part of being employed has to do with the
\nidea of receiving a reward for doing or accomplishing something.
\nThe Pleasure Factor is about the reward of having something
\nexciting and stimulating in one's life on a regular and ongoing
\nbasis, and of having the financial resources to be able to buy
\nsomething special or significant when wanted.<\/p>\n
It is also about being able to obtain something desired or
\nneeded. The idea is that as one becomes more successful, one's
\nworld will become a personal playground, and with success the
\nworld will always remain a playground. Drugs create an
\nillusionary euphoria that more is better -- more money, more
\nwork, more success, that more of everything will create more
\npleasure.<\/p>\n
The Pain Factor: Work is often stressful. Stress is pain, and
\ndrugs relieve pain. Many, many working people use drugs to
\nrelieve stress, tension, anxiety and nervousness. Alcohol,
\ntranquilizers, marijuana and shabu-shabu are believed to be the
\nbest for taking stress and pain away. Drugs do take pain away, at
\nleast for a while.<\/p>\n
Many people in the business and work world also abuse pills.
\nThe pill poppers can go undetected for considerably long periods
\nof time, especially when their reasons for using painkillers and
\nstress relievers seem justified.<\/p>\n
But drugs give only temporary relief from pain. Yet people
\nthink, and believe, if they use more drugs, they will get more
\nrelief from their pain. This thinking often leads to drug abuse,
\nthen addiction.<\/p>\n
Peer Pressure: This is all about fitting in and wanting to get
\nahead. The ego's need and desire to be someone special, someone
\nimportant, someone who commands respect and admiration often
\nleads to poor judgment in personal decision-making.<\/p>\n
Egos in the workplace are often very fragile, and it is a
\nknown and accepted fact that if a person wants to get ahead at
\ntheir workplace, there are specific rules and certain people one
\nmust bestow with favors and must follow. Often people will do
\nalmost anything to reach the top of the workplace ladder, and
\nthis includes using drugs.<\/p>\n
Another issue that compounds the problem of drugs is denial.
\nThe government, NGOs, the religious community, the health and
\nwelfare community, educators, the police and military (all of
\nthese organizations and institutions are also workplaces) are
\nnervously clamoring for help and assistance. At the same time,
\nmost of these organizations are publicly still denying there is a
\nfull-blown-crisis of drug abuse and addiction.<\/p>\n
In a few short years the tragic truth and realization will be
\ncoldly evident in our Indonesian workplaces. Drug abusers and
\naddicts will cause great harm and damage to organizations,
\ninstitutions and companies.<\/p>\n
Profitability and quality control will fall abruptly. The
\ndependability of those counted on for production and leadership
\nwill diminish greatly. Theft (of both money and goods) in the
\nworkplace will increase dramatically. Lying and fabrication of
\nthe truth -- and reasons and excuses -- about why something is
\nnot done, accomplished or completed properly will increase
\ngreatly.<\/p>\n
Hostility and resentment within the organization will escalate
\nand interfere with the entire daily operation. Absenteeism, and
\ntime away from work, due to being sick because of drug abuse and
\nalcohol hangovers will increase sharply. And HIV\/AIDS and
\nhepatitis C will take a far greater toll in terms of loss of
\nemployees, disability and death in the workplace than could be
\nimagined today.<\/p>\n
We also need to think about the fact that even though many
\npeople in the workplace are not using, abusing or are addicted to
\ndrugs or alcohol, the chances are increasing that someone in
\ntheir home has already fallen victim. Having an addict creating
\nhavoc in an employee's home easily distracts an employee from his
\nday to day judgment and productivity at the workplace.<\/p>\n
Organizations, large and small, must immediately begin a
\nseries of continuing informative lectures, seminars, training and
\nprograms for their management and employees on drug abuse and
\naddiction, and on health education, which definitely includes
\ninformation on HIV\/AIDS and hepatitis C. The cost of this kind of
\n\"common sense insurance\" within the workplace is negligible today
\n-- compared with the actual cost of not addressing the issues of
\ndrug abuse and addiction, and allowing viruses to become
\nestablished in the very near future.<\/p>\n
The workplace must face the threatening and fatal challenges
\nof these issues today. If not, a portion of the workplace will
\nsurely become deserted and be closed down tomorrow! The workplace
\nis about business, and business is about people. And without
\npeople, there is no business.<\/p>\n
The authors are the directors of Yayasan Hati Kita
\n(http:\/\/www.angelfire.com\/hi\/joydave).<\/p>",
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