KLANG: Employers must make it a top priority to address issues of drug and substance abuse in the workplace to help create a safe working environment, says the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK).
Its director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh (pic) said besides reducing the rise in drug misuse cases, these efforts help curb workplace issues such as crime, loss of life, property damage and tarnishing the organisation’s image due to use of illicit substances.
He said that as of September, there were 169,691 drug addicts, an increase of over 24,000 from 145,526 people recorded last year.
Of the number, 1,035 of them were public sector employees.
“The problem of drug and substance abuse in the workplace needs to be the main agenda of employers as these are among factors that can influence the level of occupational safety and health,” he said, Bernama reported.
The agency was ready to work with strategic partners in implementing high-impact programmes to ensure a conducive, safe and drug and substance abuse-free workplace is created, he said at the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the Drug-Free Workplace (Tekad) programme between AADK and the Royal Klang City Council ) yesterday.
Ruslin said MBDK is the first local authority (PBT) to provide a written commitment to implement the programme, reflecting the authority’s determination to make the workplace free from drug and substance abuse issues.
He hopes the MBDK’s efforts will serve as an example to other PBTs nationwide to take similar steps towards ensuring that employees in their respective organisations are free from drugs, thereby creating a healthy and safe work environment.
