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U.S. attorney will campaign
for drug-free workplaces
Pacific Business News (Honolulu) - April 7, 2006
Pacific
Business News
A concerned U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo plans to launch a statewide campaign this year
to tackle the pervasive problem of substance abuse in the workplace.
The plan, which is still in the works, will offer incentives and recognition for businesses that have drug-free workplace policies and warn employers of the consequences of harboring substance abusers.
Much of this message will be passed to small-business owners through a locally produced DVD and a mass-media campaign financed by private partners.
"We are laying out the issue of drug abuse to all business owners, including the statistics on what are the losses to business, criminal penalties involved, potential loss of business property through seizures and forfeitures because of drug investigations," Kubo said.
A report released in January estimates that 5 percent of all employees have a substance-abuse problem.
Kubo says the report motivated him to bring back into focus an issue that has been on the back burner. He is recruiting a coalition of backers and sponsors and already has talked to The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Hawaii Employers Mutual Insurance Co., the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and the Honolulu Police Department.
"We need to develop a drug-free workplace policy, and possibly come up with templates that small businesses can adopt," Kubo said.
Bob Dove, president of insurer H.E.M.I.C., says he supports Kubo's efforts. His company, he said, already gives a 5 percent discount on workers' compensation premiums to employers who follow some of its guidelines on a drug-free workplace.
Currently, 262 of 6,500 insured employers get the credit.
pnatarajan@bizjournals.com | 955-8041
