The Effects of Substance Use on Workplace Injuries

Conclusion
Occupational injuries cause significant morbidity and mortality in the United States, and 
efforts should be made to minimize the burden of these injuries on public health. Research on 
the impact of substance use on these injuries has advanced and confronted many limitations 
of prior work. Although the media often report on singular incidents attributed to substance 
use with grave consequences, the current research confirms that the proportion of occupational 
injuries attributed to acute substance use is relatively small. What is more likely is that workers 
who engage in harmful, substance-using behaviors may be more likely to take risks at work. 
This does not mean that the relationship between substance use and occupational injuries is 
spurious, but rather that policies and intervention strategies focused on substance use should 
address underlying characteristics and traits of persons with this risk profile. EAPs are an 
appealing venue for this type of intervention strategy. As this review has shown, while a great 
deal of research has examined the effect of substance use on workplace injuries, there is still 
significantly more work to be done.

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