FALL 2020  TODAY’S GENER AL COUNSEL
Expect Pandemic-Related Addiction Among Employees By Sue Bright
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T Sue Bright is the Executive Director of New Directions for Women, an addiction treatment center for women of all ages in Southern California. She works collaboratively with HR professionals, employee assistance programs (EAPs) and unions. sbright@newdirec tionsforwomen.org
he coronavirus pandemic is dominating the news, but the current addiction epidemic is critical as well. In fact, the two are inextricably linked. Calls to a 24/7 national hotline dedicated to immediate drug crisis counseling saw an 891 percent increase last March compared to March 2019. Addiction should be treated as a medical issue rather than a criminal justice issue, but that does not preclude legal problems stemming from the addictive behaviors. Experts predict increased legal cases related to the increase in alcohol and drug consumption. Accessible addiction treatment is more necessary than ever. Law firms have the opportunity to serve as a channel for intervention and referral to treatment. In-house legal departments should expect to see addictive disorders in their employees and be prepared to minimize risk for their business while supporting their employees. Substance use disorder causes a variety of legal problems. These are the most common:
