Real Talk: Alcohol Awareness and Promoting Workplace Recovery
BY Cal Beyer
The 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shares that approximately 10.3% of Americans aged 18 and older report alcohol use disorder. For all people with alcohol and substance use disorder, it is estimated that approximately two-thirds are of working age and in the workforce.
Historically, many employers took a hands-off approach to alcohol use among employees because it is a legal substance. Traditional workplace prevention programs rarely led employees or family members to seek services. It is well established that less than 10% of people who need help for substance use actually receive help. Now let’s look at some of the contributing factors that limited access to help in workplaces.
Shifting Attitudes About Alcohol in Workplaces
Ask any seasoned worker with over 25-30 years of experience and they often give accounts of days when alcohol consumption was more socially acceptable, including at business lunches; or at the end of the workday on job sites when a cooler of beer was commonly shared among crews.
Several societal, legal and regulatory factors contributed to changing attitudes about how workplaces treat alcohol consumption, including:
- The cultural shift against drinking and driving in the 1980s;
- Adoption of the 1988 Drug-Free Workplace Act;
- The passage of the 1991 Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act requiring drug and alcohol testing of safety-sensitive transportation jobs (that were phased-in by 1996); and
- Growing pressures over legal liability for negligent entrustment and failure to supervise due to claims alleging employees were “operating while under the influence.”
Moving Beyond Drug Free Workplace Policies and Substance Use Testing
The asphalt industry falls under Federal Highway Administration Department of Transportation regulations, where testing protocols for safety-sensitive positions are mandatory. These programs are often punitive, leading to discipline or job loss, which are outcomes that reinforce stigma and discourage employees from seeking help. This reinforces stigma about mental health and substance use and keeps people from being comfortable seeking or asking for help.
Editor’s Note: See the December 2025 issue of the AsphaltPro for Cal Beyer’s 5 trends for workplace mental health and wellbeing. Beyer will offer a description of Recovery First-Aid training to teach all employees about the signs and symptoms of substance use and misuse, as well as additional resources to offer support to those seeking or in need of help.
“Last Chance Agreements” (sometimes known as “Second Chance Agreements”), are being increasingly used by more employers to provide a second chance for employees testing positive for prohibited substances, including alcohol. This provides an employee with a mandatory referral to a Substance Abuse Professional and to work with the employer on specified conditions to be able to return to work.
The Snowball—3-minute feature film | Research shows alcohol consumption risks increase as daylight shortens and temperatures drop. These seasonal changes can amplify health impacts. Research also shows these shifts to shorter, darker days and cooler temperatures can increase the risk of higher alcohol consumption. This combination can contribute to adverse health effects. Watch the short feature film The Snowball (https://youtu.be/wg92u_FKphA) to learn the risks of alcohol for yourself, your family and your friends. Take steps to safeguard yourself and your family to help keep alcohol use from snowballing and disrupting your life. For information on alcohol awareness, refer to https://www.safeproject.us/alcohol
Generational Shift in Drinking Behaviors is Occurring
Gallup has been polling Americans on drinking behaviors since 1939. A record-low 54% of Americans reported drinking alcohol in the 2025 poll. This reflects an 8% decline since the 2023 poll. Continuing a decade long downward trend, younger respondents reported lower rates of drinking alcohol compared to those who were older. 50% of those aged 18-24 reported drinking compared to 56% of those over age 35.
Analyzing Gallup data, Forbes focused on the continuing trend in the percentage of American adults expressing concern about the health effects of drinking. Specifically, this rate increased from 28% in 2018 to 39% in 2023, before hitting 53% in 2025. At the same time the percentage of Americans who believed drinking alcohol had beneficial health effects decreased from 25% in 2005 to 19% in 2016 while dropping to 6% in 2025.
There’s hope of reaching these younger/new workers in our industry because so many of their peers are inclined to limit or not use alcohol. Despite these trends toward less alcohol use in younger workers, stigma and fear of how employees will respond to safety talks on the subject keeps many workplaces from both:
- talking about the signs and symptoms of substance use, and
- offering support and services for substance use disorder.
Spotlight on Recovery
The latest NSDUH offers a positive view of this news that is often not reported: a high percentage of American adults report being in recovery or being recovered from mental health challenges (66.9%) and problems with substances or alcohol (74.3%). This data is an opportunity for workplaces to shift from talking about problems to talking about solutions.
By focusing on recovery, employers can promote care-seeking by those in need of support and services. Progressive employers are recognizing how common substance use challenges are among workers and families. A worker who has a family member affected by substance use is at increased risk of stress and anxiety. Employers are increasingly receptive to thinking differently about how to support employees seeking substance use prevention, treatment and recovery.
What is Recovery?
There are multiple pathways to recovery, and each recovery journey is unique. The Recovery Research Institute (RRI) defines recovery as improved physical, psychological and social well-being after a substance-related condition. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) describes it as a process of change to improve health, live a self-directed life, and reach full potential—intentionally avoiding terms like “addiction” or “sobriety.” These inclusive definitions help employers meet employees where they are and spread hope.
It is important to teach all employees about substance use prevention. Focusing on prevention and early intervention with family members to minimize crises relating to worsening substance use disorder. By offering training on recovery pathways, allyship, and etiquette, workplaces can provide a necessary safety net to help employees and family members needing vital support.
Discussing the availability of services and the support for prevention and recovery decreases stigma and promotes help-seeking, leading to recovery. Better yet, sharing vetted resources lists with employees is an important first step. Include these resources in group health benefit open enrollment meetings and documents. Mailing these resources to the employees’ home addresses increases the likelihood of family members also receiving this important information.
The Gallup data is a real opportunity for workplaces to offer support and resources to employees and families on alcohol awareness. There has never been a better time to do so. Learn the risks of alcohol for yourself, your family and your friends.
Cal Beyer, CWP, NAC, is the senior director of SAFE Workplaces for national nonprofit SAFE Project. SAFE stands for Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic. SAFE Project also provides tailored guidance and training within its four key initiatives: SAFE Campuses, SAFE Communities, SAFE Workplaces and SAFE Veterans. Beyer has more than 30 years of experience as a risk management and safety professional. He has been dedicated to construction and manufacturing since 1996 and has been a longtime advocate for workplace mental health and well-being. Reach Beyer at cal@safeproject.us or via cell at (651) 307-7883.
SIDEBAR
Sources
Gallup. (August, 13, 2025). U.S. Drinking Rate at New Low as Alcohol Concerns Surge https://news.gallup.com/poll/693362/drinking-rate-new-low-alcohol-concerns-surge.aspx
Forbes. (Aug. 13, 2025). “Around Half of US Adults Drink Alcohol – A Solid Low – But Sales Remain Steady.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2025/08/13/around-half-of-us-adults-drink-alcohol-a-record-low-but-sales-remain-steady/
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2025). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the US: Results from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt56287/2024-nsduh-annual-national-report.pdf