DRUGS DON'T WORK PROGRAM
Drugs Don’t Work Program

Drug use in your business costs money, customers and lost productivity! To obtain drug free workplace certification and qualify for the state-mandated 7.5% discount on your workers’ compensation premiums, you must complete the following steps:

Drugs Don’t Work Simplified Check List for companies:

  1. Substance Abuse Policy: Companies must have a Substance Abuse Policy in place that meets the legal requirements of GA law. This first step takes about 6-8 minutes. A sample policy can be provided for your reference, upon request.
  2. Drug Testing: Companies must conduct pre-employment testing (can be done “on-site”), post-accident testing, reasonable suspicion testing and post treatment testing. Companies are NOT required to conduct random or blanket testing (although we do strongly recommend random testing). A list of certified testing providers is available upon request.
  3. Employee Education: In the first year of certification, companies must provide 2 hours of Drug Education for all employees. In the 2nd and subsequent years of certification they must provide 1 hour of Employee Drug Education. It can be done in one of 3 ways: an in-person presentation, a DVD/webinar or monthly training newsletters. Most companies use the monthly Employee Drug Education Newsletters to meet this annual training requirement. A monthly newsletter can be provided by your Chamber to its DDW members. These newsletters are equal to the required two hours of training annually. If companies prefer the DVDs, your Chamber can provide those to its DDW members.
  4. Supervisor Education: In the first year of certification companies must provide 2 hours of Supervisor Training for all supervisors. In the 2nd and subsequent years of certification they must provide 1 hour of Supervisor Training. It can be done in one of 3 ways: an in-person presentation, a DVD or monthly training newsletters. Most companies use the monthly Supervisor Training Newsletters to meet this annual training requirement. A monthly newsletter can be provided by your Chamber to its DDW members. If they prefer the Supervisor Training DVD your Chamber can provide them to its DDW members.
  5. Treatment Services: Companies must have a List of Treatment and Counseling Centers in the area to give to employees if they test positive for drugs so they know where to go for help. Your Chamber can provide this list upon request. 

THAT’S IT. Once a company has started this process (they don’t have to have completed all of it), they can go online to fill out the Application for Certification. The state application fee for employers is $35. As soon as they complete the application and submit their payment it will bring up their certificate. Your Chamber will remind you when it's time to renew your certification.

The Peach Regional Chamber of Commerce provides the Drugs Don’t Work program to its members in good standing at a cost of $100 annually to provide the necessary tools to empower business owners to maintain a drug-free workplace. Enrollment and certification through the Drugs Don’t Work program can also help lower workers’ compensation premiums.

Think drugs in Georgia don’t affect you as a business executive? You might want to think again. Consider these facts**:

  • Substance abusers file 5 times more workers’ comp claims
  • 70% of adult drug users are employed

On the flip side, having a drug-free workplace helps:
  • Reduce medical costs and lost productivity
  • Lower employee turnover and reduce absenteeism
  • Protect loyal employees

**Source: ‘Working Partners’, National Conference Proceedings Report: US Dept. of Labor, the Small Business Administration, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy.