The speech was held by the Norwegian Minister of Social Affaires, Mrs. Ingjerd Schou, at the World Forum on Drugs, Dependencies, Impacts and Responses, Montreal, 23. – 26. October 2002:

In my professional life as a nurse and director for a hospital in Norway, I have experienced the sorrow when a dear colleague and friend died. She managed to disguise her problem and nobody discovered - or wanted to discover - her alcohol-problem.

As a leader and colleague I failed. How can we avoid such fatale mistakes?

Norway is a rather small country with approximately 4 million inhabitants and a long tradition with a high percentage of the population taking part in working life. We also have long and good tradition of collaboration between the social partners in working life. In Norway the great concern which follows the misuse of alcohol is the damage it causes. Generally many people involve themselves and take part in discussions about our alcohol policy, which is restricted, compared to many other countries. We have a wine and liquor monopoly and restrictions on the use of alcohol in restaurants and bars. We can call it a system of restrictions and attention going hand in hand.

Also the organizations working against all use of alcohol has traditionally a strong position in Norway. Unfortunately many Norwegians seem to use alcohol as a means to inebriation. Though we lately have established a more continental way of drinking, this is not in stead of, bud in addition to the traditional way of drinking – people drink wine both during the week, and get drunk during the weekend. The damage of alcohol use in Norway can be divided into four groups: direct as well as indirect effects from intoxication, and direct as well as indirect effects from a lengthy and elevated use of alcohol.

To take part in occupational life means a great deal to each and everyone.

Most grown-up people spend the greater part of their day at work. The profession we have is an important part of our image and self-esteem. To have an occupation gives contact and solidarity with colleagues. Work grants the daily income but what is equally important: it gives the feeling of being valuable to society. Nowadays it is more often recognised that being employed meets with a wide range of human requirements. An extended social network makes life more meaningful and the experience of self-realisation gives an added value to the quality of life.

Use of Alcohol and Narcotic drugs in occupational life

During the last 10 years we have seen several studies on the use of alcohol by the labour force in different parts of the occupational life. These studies show that use of alcohol related to the workplace has a number of negative effects on the occupational life in numerous ways. We see strong connections, although they are complex, between use of alcohol and leave, accidents and capacity as well as quality of work, and on social relations at the work place. There are only few studies on the use of other substances than alcohol, but we find strong indications pointing out the same negative consequence by the use of narcotic drugs.

Further, research studies also show that both leaders and employees have optimistic expectations to the use of alcohol in connection to work, in particular as a means to make good job relations as well as social relations. Many are those who look forward to the social gatherings of the enterprise, and to take a glass beer or two at the end of the working day. In a global world we see more travelling and representation, which often includes use of alcohol. A recent study ordered by the Norwegian Trade and Industry Association, on the use of alcohol and other substances among employees in Norwegian private enterprises, shows that a high percentage of the employees had used alcohol in job-related situations.

Strategies for an occupational life without substance use.

Alcohol-free zones:

In Norway we have a traditional consensus on alcohol-free zones:

Work and substance use, do not belong together. This consensus also counts for alcohol and narcotic drug use in the traffic and to pregnant women. In Norway we have an extensive traffic control which shows that 40% of the drivers had used drugs in any form.

The Organisation "AlkoKutt" has equally, with significant political support, made an important work with these alcohol-free zones. I find that these zones free of substance use should be upheld and strengthened. Best of all would be to extend these zones, to the company with children and to the organised sports.

Nevertheless, both society and the occupational life are in transition. Young people starting to work today often have different attitudes and values than their senior colleagues. In the old society, people started to work at the age of 14 and 16. They were socialised by older colleagues at the workplace who so to say raised them. Nowadays, people study longer and often live together with their friends before they start working. This also entails new attitudes on the use of alcohol and narcotic drugs.

An including occupational life.

The working environment influences the individual employee’s quality of life in a positive or in a negative way. A challenge, therefore, is to find ways and means to fulfil the obligations of the Working Environment Act of 1977. This challenge applies to both private and public enterprises.

Due to varied circumstances, such as i.e. a tougher professional life and favourable pension agreements, we unfortunately see (in Norway) a trend that more and more people leave the occupational life before the retirement age.

Consequently people become dependent of lengthy insurance systems, which is good for no one. Sickness leave, disability insurance and early retirement agreements reduce the capacity of work in all parts of society. The authorities together with the social partners have a particular responsibility to reverse this trend. That is why the Government and the social partners have made an Agreement of Intention to empower (strengthen) the potential of the working life.

This Agreement on a more inclusive working-life.

A more inclusive occupational life to the benefit of the individual worker (employee), the working place and the society

Reducing the sickness leave and the use of disability insurance

Making better use of the society’s capacity of work by making make better use of the resources of elderly workers.

The Agreement contains incentives for a more inclusive working life. There will be more and better contact with people on sickness leave. Employers will be given means making it profitable to keep people as a part of the working force longer. The Agreement will last for a period of 4 years from 3 October 2001 to 31 December 2005.

Co-operation with the social partners

The Norwegian experience of co-operation with the social partners for an inclusive occupational life applies also to prevent substance abuse. Back in 1963 the AKAN "the Occupational Committee against substance abuse (alcoholism and use of narcotic drugs) was established as a common initiative of the Norwegian Trade and Industry Organisation, the Labour Union and the State, represented by the Ministry of Social Affairs. The Aim is two-folded:

To prevent alcohol abuse and narcotic use at the work place

To act at an early stage and to give support to employees with such problems.

A committee consisting of representatives from the two main Organisations and the State, represented by the Norwegian Health and Social Directorate, is in charge of the work. The Organisation has its own Secretariat to run the daily work. It is not a member organisation, and the Secretariat serves Norwegian Enterprises, both private and public.

An important number of Norwegian Enterprises, private and public, has integrated a so-called AKAN-system in their work for occupational health and safety and within their Internal (self-control) Control Systems.

We need a visible culture at the workplace taking the position of non-acceptance of alcohol use related to work. This attitude gains more and more understanding, and the AKAN therefore has its natural place in the work of occupational health and safety in all enterprises.

Next year – AKAN will celebrate its 40 anniversary and I look forward to congratulating them for the considerable work that they have done.

The challenge is both to prevent and to cure substance abuse problems at the work place.

It is too easy to neglect these problems, by not calling them by their right name, or by being to "kind" with the abuser in question. The abusers need positive support and attention, but equally important are limits and strict rules. An including occupational life must have an integrated component to maintain and take care of employees with substance problems.

We must develop a culture that accepts that the abusers exist and that says YES to a strategy to meet with them.

Staying at work is one of the best ways to avoid the alcohol/drug problem to develop further. We therefore need good programmes to prevent misuse of alcohol at the workplace.

And again, this is not the whole recipe we must work to find ways and means to bring the efforts for rehabilitation of the enterprises together with health and social services at community level. I would like to repeat, the occupational life does not exist in a vacuum –it is one of the most important components of our lives. Therefore we must strengthen the ties between the occupational life and society.

As outcome of the co-operation between the social partners I would like to see:

Policy plans and action plans against substance abuse in enterprises

Visible positions on the use of substances related to the occupational life

Information and facts on the issue to new employees

Care taking of people with substance abuse problems.

Be careful with Testing.

Testing is one way to prevent substance abuse at the work place. In Norway we have experienced that such testing is perhaps not the best way to reduce substance use at the workplace and to increase the safety. International studies equally show that test-programs alone do not give positive results. I would therefore like to give my support to "the Code of Practice" which was adopted by the International Labour Organisation in 1995, giving the main message that: "testing in occupational life shall only take place according to very serious studies on the suitability".

This scepticism on testing does not mean that we do not take this problem seriously. Occupational life is not an isolated part of society. Employees are also parents and members of the local environment where they live. Together with the private life, the professional life composes the most important part of society. Substance abuse is a problem to occupational life. The causes are due to diverse reasons. One of them could be the quality of the working environment at the workplace. Occupational life is consequently on of the most important areas in the challenge to prevent alcohol and narcotic drug problems.

I started with a story about a colleague. Most of you can tell similar stories. Quite a few of you know a working partner who has problems with alcohol without doing anything. We can make a lot of strategies, plans and programs, but in the end it is the care for our friends at work that matters.