Alcohol and other drug abuse. Current perspectives for occupational health nurses

1. Trends in alcohol, drug, and tobacco use indicate that the upward surge of the 1960s and 1970s has subsided, but the amount of drug use in this country is still higher than in any other industrial nation. Risk factors associated with age, gender, culture, and family point to a significant increase in the number of individuals in the work force with a substance abuse problem. 2. The etiology of alcohol and other drug addictions is a subject of controversy. One position adheres to biological determinants of disease, another adheres to psychological disorders. 3. Implications for nurses involve effective teaching/learning strategies that range from didactic content emphasizing long term consequences of the disease to specific methods of employee instruction.