Substance Use Cost Calculator Methodology and Issue Briefs

Methodology
The Substance Use Cost Calculator for Employers was designed by the National Safety Council and NORC at the University of Chicago, and funded by Nationwide. This easy-to-use tool gives employers information about the impact of substance use in the workplace, and what they can do to increase the safety, health and productivity of their employees.

This document describes in detail the methods behind the numbers.
Alcohol, prescription pain medication, opioid and other drug-use disorders are among the most common and costly health conditions affecting Americans. More than 70,000 people died of drug overdoses in 2019, and nearly 50,000 of those deaths involved opioids. Over 2 million Americans suffer from an opioid use disorder.

New estimates show that the economic impact of the opioid crisis reached $1.02 trillion in 2017. However, the costs of substance use to businesses may not be apparent and many companies remain largely in the dark about how substance use impacts their bottom line.
The Calculator gives a simple estimate of the financial toll faced by individual businesses and illuminates an area with significant potential for cost reduction and improved productivity. It also helps businesses see how much they can save by supporting employees through treatment and into recovery.

The Issue Briefs
These issue briefs take a deep dive into a variety of other topics related to substance use in the workplace. Learn more about how these specific issues impact your workplace and employees.
• Impacts of Alcohol on Worker Health, Safety, Risk-taking and Workplace Costs
• Substance Use Disorders by Occupation
• How Workers with Active Substance Use Disorders Impact Employer Health Care Costs
• Turnover and Substance Use: What It Costs and What Can Be Done
• Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability and Return to Work
• Prescription Opioids and Work
• Substance Use, Gender and Sexual Orientation
• Substance Use: Prevention, Screening Tools and Workplace Policies
• Substance Use Disorder Treatment
• Cannabis and the Workplace
• Driving Under the Influence

Methodology Paper
This document describes in detail how estimates are tallied for the Substance Use Cost Calculator for Employers.

Methodology Webinar
Impairment experts from NORC and NSC explain cost calculator methodology and findings.

Thank you to the NSC!