This demonstrated the need to make more employers aware

of drug use among their employees and show them how to help these drug abusers, said Caritas director Mgr Victor Grech,

yesterday.

Speaking to Union Haddiema Maghqudin members, Mgr Grech highlighted the main issues regarding drug abusers within the workplace and how this problem can be addressed.

Eight years ago, Caritas set up employee assistance programmes with 14 companies. The employers have contacted Caritas and referred several employees for rehabilitation programmes, said Mgr Grech.

“This problem is being brushed under the carpet but it will soon come to the surface and then there will be no turning away from it,” he said. The biggest problem is that very often the employer is not aware of the worker’s drug habit.

When discovered, some employees have been fired and this leads others to hide their problem for fear of dismissal.

Mgr Grech said employers must raise awareness and be more open about social and family problems.

A drug habit is most often symptomatic of a deeper affliction. The social aspect of the worker’s life must be given priority in order to get to the root of the problem, said Mgr Grech.

Drug addicts need around Lm50 or Lm80 a day to support their habit. Since this amount is not sustainable on a regular salary, many addicts turn to crime. The addict therefore becomes caught up in a vicious circle of drugs and criminality, Mgr Grech said.

The Caritas director spoke of the methadone maintenance centre at St Luke’s Hospital and said that it is not enough to give addicts methadone; they need a rehabilitation programme as well in order to get rid of their addiction completely.

If taken without the additional help of a rehabilitation programme, methadone maintenance simply becomes an alternative addiction, said Mgr Grech.

He suggested methadone should be distributed at rehabilitation centres themselves instead of from one place – St Luke’s hospital. This would avoid the possibility of recovering addicts meeting people who are not following any programme and who may cause them to “fall off the wagon”.

Mgr Grech explained that employers must keep their eyes open and be sensitive to any changes in their workers’ behaviour. He warned that symptoms are only an indicator of drug abuse. An addict’s personality is very often affected by his habit.

Listlessness, poor performance at work and a lack of motivation may all be factors that indicate drug abuse or some other problem such as increasing debts, gambling or usury.

One must also be aware of how long the person has been abusing drugs and what kind of drug they use. There is a marked difference in behaviour between those who use hard drugs and those who use soft drugs, Mgr Grech said.

The most important thing employers must keep in mind is safeguarding the workplace environment and the worker. An employee under the influence of drugs can be of great danger to himself and his colleagues, especially if he is operating heavy machinery or the like.

Drug use at the workplace must be addressed and employers made more aware, said Mgr Grech. The agreement Caritas has with companies is proving to be helpful in this respect and hopefully more will open their eyes to this problem afflicting some of their staff.