Drugs are at the heart of our society, and increasingly so. Each of us has a role to play in the face of this reality which affects all backgrounds and all ages. Street corner sales, cannabis plants in cellars or attics, cocaine in all social classes, these substances may seem far away. Yet they are at our doors. An example? There are many white-collar men aged 40 to 55 who arrive at hospital emergency departments for problematic and combined consumption of alcohol and cocaine. Often in denial, they are confronted with their reality abruptly. Their body gives in to consumption that has become too regular and heavy.
Professional responsibilities and stress are a cause of substance use and polyaddictions (tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, sleeping pills, etc.). Some executives use drugs today to increase their attention span. 44% of French employees believe addictive practices are common in their workplace. In companies, addiction is a triggering factor for around 25% of workplace accidents, without forgetting the link with the increase in burnout.
One figure is less well known: 11% of female executives consume alcohol at risk. According to the INRS, alcohol and cannabis are the two psychoactive substances most consumed by employees.
However, solutions exist; an investment in occupational health prevention would reduce depression, sick leave, absenteeism, and loss of productivity. Investing 1 euro in occupational health prevention yields 13 euros!
Invest in particular on a psychological level to teach people to take care of themselves and to be less tempted to resort to relief mechanisms via products. The impact is also real on family life. In around 25% of couples, violence is always accompanied by alcohol consumption. 60% of aggressive episodes occur within two hours of male consumption.
In this book, we wanted, without judgment, to allow everyone to know each substance and its effects, because, for us, the more the population knows the products, the more they will be able to face the tsunami of drugs.
Using health data provided by Inserm, Professor Pierre Kopp (University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) was able to estimate the social cost of different drugs annually: €118 billion for alcohol, €122 billion for tobacco, €8.7 billion for illicit drugs….
In addition, drugs remain the primary factor in the accumulation of wealth for organized crime. The drug sector in France generates around 3 billion euros in profits per year and involves 240,000 people in cannabis trafficking alone.
The numbers speak for themselves…and you? What do you think you can accomplish on your small scale to reduce the impact of drugs on our society, your employees and indirectly your loved ones or your children?
Dr Pauline Gérard, Dr Thomas Orban, Vincent Liévin
“Addictions and drugs, understand them to reduce the risks” published by Mardaga Editions.
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