Venue: The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, 1 Towerview Drive, Durham, NC 27708-0120

 

Presentation

Workplace Externalities and Alcohol Use among Young Adults

Authors: Johannes Norling (RTI International); Deborah Galvin (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration); Jeremy Bray (Research Triangle Institute); Georgia Karuntzos (Research Triangle Institute)

Presenter: Johannes Norling (RTI International)

Discussant: Ning Zhang (Cornell University)

Session: Alcohol

Room: Geneen Auditorium

When: Monday 10:30 a.m. - noon

Substance use, especially alcohol use, is particularly prevalent among individuals ages 18-25 years old in the United States. Furthermore, many studies have highlighted the relationship between an individual’s workplace productivity and his or her alcohol use, both at and outside of work. However, the association between an individual’s productivity and the level and type of alcohol use among his or her coworkers remains largely unexamined.

This study examines the relationship between an individual’s absenteeism, presenteeism, and workplace accidents and coworker drinking levels using survey data from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention’s Young Adults in the Workplace Initiative. Preliminary findings indicate that a young adult’s chance of having an accident at work is strongly and positively related to both the percentage of his or her young adult coworkers that drink at a heavy level and the percentage that drink at or before work. The findings for presenteeism and absenteeism are less robust. This presentation will detail the model and empirical results and will discuss the implications and next steps.