TY - JOUR
T1 - If cannabis use is increasing among workers what are the implications for policy? A secondary analysis of a nationally representative Australian dataset
AU - Roche, Ann
AU - McEntee, Alice
AU - Kim, Susan
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Patterns, prevalence and predictors of past year cannabis use were examined by industry and occupation groups through secondary analyses of Australia’s triennial National Drug Strategy Household Surveys (2010, 2013, 2016, 2019). Frequency analyses examined cannabis prevalence. Logistic regression models estimated adjusted effects of demographics on cannabis use amongst employees overall, and within industries and occupations where prevalence differed from the employed national average. Workers’ cannabis use increased 17.4% between 2010 and 2019. Workers most likely to use cannabis in all models were male, smokers, aged 14–24 years, and with very high psychological distress levels. Prevalence was highest among trade workers (18.2%) and those in Arts and Recreation Services (26.6%). The greatest relative increases occurred in industries where prevalence levels were traditionally very low. To date, cannabis-related workplace policies and interventions have been predicated on any level of use being potentially risky. However, greater social acceptability, more lenient legal constraints, and increased medicinal use of cannabis necessitates approaches that reflect changing social norms and address the needs of workers vulnerable to harm. Findings highlight the importance of reconceptualizing risk mitigation strategies and implementing novel and effective prevention, intervention approaches and policies tailored to specific workforce settings and populations with differing risk profiles.
AB - Patterns, prevalence and predictors of past year cannabis use were examined by industry and occupation groups through secondary analyses of Australia’s triennial National Drug Strategy Household Surveys (2010, 2013, 2016, 2019). Frequency analyses examined cannabis prevalence. Logistic regression models estimated adjusted effects of demographics on cannabis use amongst employees overall, and within industries and occupations where prevalence differed from the employed national average. Workers’ cannabis use increased 17.4% between 2010 and 2019. Workers most likely to use cannabis in all models were male, smokers, aged 14–24 years, and with very high psychological distress levels. Prevalence was highest among trade workers (18.2%) and those in Arts and Recreation Services (26.6%). The greatest relative increases occurred in industries where prevalence levels were traditionally very low. To date, cannabis-related workplace policies and interventions have been predicated on any level of use being potentially risky. However, greater social acceptability, more lenient legal constraints, and increased medicinal use of cannabis necessitates approaches that reflect changing social norms and address the needs of workers vulnerable to harm. Findings highlight the importance of reconceptualizing risk mitigation strategies and implementing novel and effective prevention, intervention approaches and policies tailored to specific workforce settings and populations with differing risk profiles.
KW - Cannabis
KW - industry
KW - occupation
KW - policy
KW - trends over time
KW - workforce
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85125285448&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09687637.2022.2028729
DO - 10.1080/09687637.2022.2028729
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85125285448
SN - 0968-7637
VL - 30
SP - 383
EP - 393
JO - Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy
JF - Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy
IS - 4
ER -