How workplace drug testing helps to save money in the war on drugs
Recently, there has been a lot of focus on funding to combat drug misuse and drug trafficking. At the end of 2021, the UK government announced a 10-year plan to actively tackle drug supply chains while capping the demand for drugs through treatment programmes.
Allocated funding and initiatives
A total of £3bn was earmarked for the first three years of this initiative, known as From Harm to Hope. Since the announcement, the Scottish Government, for example, allocated £3.6m to residential rehabilitation. This is part of Scotland’s National Mission on Drugs.
With this funding, authorities aim to stop the repetitive cycle of crime instigated and driven by drug addiction. There are, however, those who highlight the harm done by funding cuts since the implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
Before this law came into force, addiction services received direct funds from the central government. From April 2013 onwards, these funds were commissioned according to the discretion of local authorities.
Studies show that funding from the central government to local authorities steadily declined, and by 2020, it had plunged by 29%. There were no clear benchmarks for the allocation of addiction services funds. There are also claims that local authorities cut funding to addiction services to realise savings.
Funding gaps and incidence of drug overdoses and deaths
Some maintain that there is a direct correlation between a lack of funding and the spike in drug-related emergencies, hospitalisations and fatalities. Statistics indicate a gradual decline in drug deaths before the enforcement of the Health and Social Care Act.
Between 2012 and 2021, drug deaths in England and Wales spiked by 87.1%, while hospitalisations and narcotic poisoning increased by 13.2%. The Office for National Statistics confirmed this uptrend and further reported that England and Wales suffered 4,907 drug deaths in 2022.
These alarming statistics, especially in Scotland, which has been dubbed the European drug death capital, motivated From Harm to Hope. Since this renewed effort, Scotland’s drug deaths have fallen by 279 between 2022 and 2023. This is the lowest it has been in five years.
Using workplace drug testing to save money in the fight against drugs
Workplace drug testing is a tool to promote the wellbeing of workers and curb incidents, injuries and deaths. On-site screening also paves the way for early detection and intervention.
Matrix Diagnostics developed cutting-edge testing kits that are quick and easy to use in the workplace. These not only test for conventional drugs but also screen for psychoactive substances.
Routine and spot drug tests in the workplace can pinpoint early on when a worker has a substance misuse problem. This puts employers in a position to help and refer this worker before matters escalate and become hospital emergencies or long-term admissions for rehabilitative purposes.
Our oral and urine testing kits deliver results within five minutes. This early identification and intervention lessen the financial load on healthcare and social services to realise savings.