According to a recent report by the drug-testing company Quest Diagnostics, the number of Americans using cocaine while at work fell 29 percent between 2008 and 2009 to about 0.29% of the population.
However, heroin use and prescription medication use has increased.
The rise in positive heroin tests from 0.0008 percent to 0.04 percent between January and June 2010 is attributed to new, more accurate testing methods that use oral swabs instead of urine samples.
"Stress in the workplace, which can play a role in increased substance use, has amplified in recent years due to job insecurity and a trend toward working longer hours," says a report from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Heath Services Administration.To combat the problem, most employers offer employee assistance programs (EAPs), including drug and alcohol counseling.
However, even employees who want to get help are often hesitant to do so because of fears that the counseling is not truly confidential, said Ruth Donahue, a benefits specialist in the Chicago office of human resources consultants The Segal Company.
Donahue said that companies need to do a better job of dispelling these myths and reassuring workers that getting help will not endanger their careers.