Benefits of a Recovery-Friendly Worksite
According to the recent landmark U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Surgeon General report Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health, “Well-supported scientific evidence shows that substance use disorders can be effectively treated, with recurrence rates no higher than those for other chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, and hypertension. With comprehensive continuing care, recovery is now an achievable outcome.”
Specifically, rates for substance use disorders range from 40-60%, for diabetes 20-50%, for hypertension 50-70 percent%, and asthma 50-70%.
What recovery can do
Society has maintained a persistent persona of “a hopeless addict” – someone who never holds a job, is unreliable, cannot manage their finances or maintain a relationship, and is in and out of jail and prison. It is time to update that image. Studies show that recovery from alcohol and substance misuse leads to great improvements in many aspects of life, such as:
- Paying bills on time and paying back personal debt doubled
- Fifty percent more people pay taxes in recovery than when they are in active addiction
- Planning for the future (e.g., saving for retirement) increases nearly threefold
- Involvement in domestic violence (as victim or perpetrator) decreases dramatically
- Participation in family activities increases by 50%
- Volunteering in the community increases nearly threefold
- Voting increases significantly
- Frequent utilization of costly emergency room departments decreases tenfold
- The percentage of uninsured decreases by half
- Reports of untreated emotional/mental health problems decrease over fourfold
- Involvement in illegal acts and involvement with the criminal justice system (e.g., arrests, incarceration, DWIs) decreases about tenfold
- Steady employment increases by over 50%
- Twice as many people further their education or training
- Twice as many people start their own businesses
