Addiction is an issue in every workforce unit in the United States, with one in 12 workers dealing with an untreated substance use disorder. The White House Council of Economic Advisors further estimated that the opioid crisis alone cost the U.S. economy $696 billion in 2018. Employers are becoming more aware of the problem. In a National Safety Council survey, 86% of employers were concerned that prescription opioid use was having a negative impact on their workplace, and 74% were concerned about heroin and fentanyl having a negative impact on their workplace.
The National Safety Council and the NORC at the University of Chicago found health care costs for employees who have a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) are almost double the costs of an average employee with no SUD. The annual cost of an untreated SUD ranges from an average of $8,255 to $14,000 per employee, depending on their industry and role.
The attached report titled Impact of SUD on Employers serves as a introduction employer cost within Surry County assuming a Agriculture Business of 850 employees. Findings include that a hypothetical employment sector of this type has an annual director employer cost of $347,244.