People do choose to use in the beginning, but when they get addicted, it's not a choice anymore.  Addiction is a brain disorder, your chemicals in your brain, dopamine, get screwed up, and you loose control.

Cocaine increases dopamine levels in the brain.  It floods the receptor sites with massive levels of dopamine and your brain feels "high".  After a while your brain quits making dopamine on it's own because you have been flooding it with drugs.  So when the addict tries to quit, his brain can't manufacture dopamine anymore and thats where the cravings come from.  So addiction is a brain chemical disorder, and you treat it like a disease.

Addiction is just another disease, like cancer or any other biological disease.  It's not a "choice"  These people don't choose to become addicts.

I have been in a similar position with an employee, and will pass along what little wisdom I have gained from the experience:

1.  Your heart is in the right place by wanting to help him, but it is probably too late.  He is augering in fast if he is skipping work, and unless he is truly serious and asking you for help you will end up firing him.  If he seems halfhearted about cleaning up, get rid of him now and save yourself the hassle.

2.  If you do decide to keep him, immediately remove him from any work duties involving machinery, automobiles, inventory, or financial transactions.  Give him a (short) time limit to enter treatment, and demand documentation of his continued participation.  Make sure he understands that he has ONE chance to clean up.  Random drug tests are a possibility, but you must be careful to follow any legalities concerning worker's rights and privacy.  Consult an attorney versed in workers rights laws in your state.

3.  Make sure you understand one thing - now that you are aware of his impairment, you will be held liable for any damage or injury done by him while on the clock or using any company equipment.  Regardless of #1 or #2 above, weigh that liability carefully and cut him loose if his value to your company does not compensate.

FWIW, I ended up firing my employee.  I run a pharmacy, and mainly due to #3 above I cut her loose.  Drug users working in a pharmacy is not justifiable from a liability viewpoint, too many worries about theft.

Good luck.

Sounds like its time for him to move on...

I would fire him, but that has more to do with him taking off for days rather than the fact that he does cocaine. In my mispent youth there was a time that I did cocaine for about a year or so, but I always showed up for work and did what I had to do. I did not cause any work related problems.

If one my employees did not show up to work for a few days without calling in and having a good reason, they would be gone and I wouldn't care what they were doing (drugs, alcohol, nothing).

Well I will admit, junkies are more likely to be untrustworthy, it might be the theif stoners I know have less moral character than usual.  

I pretty much got into this arguement because I feel his continued employment should be judged on the person himself and that it doesn't matter if it was weed or coke.  Anything can be extremely addictive for someone on a mental level.  Different people use drugs differently.  Any intoxicant is a drug and should be treated as such.  Judge each case individually.

HKocher nailed it. Sure, prediliction to addiction is genetic, meaning some people are much more prone to become addicted to substances when they use them then other people BUT you have to use. Everyone knows that these drugs are addictive. If you are an alcoholic or have had problems with substance abuse it is your own damn fault for trying another ADDICTIVE drug. Just like losing weight prevents heart disease and diabetes, and not smoking basically means no chance of lung cancer, the same goes for the disease of addiction. Ensuring that you don't use the drugs in the first place guarantees you will not get the "disease" of addiction.

Back to the main point, I would support the guy as a friend if he is a childhood friend. I would never cut loose one of the guys I grew up with who is like a brother to me. I also would not allow him to work at my business during that time, either, but I would help him.

This is HUGE! I hate attornies as much as any American who is not one, but unfortunately they control a lot of decisions we have to make. You are liable if he cuts his hand off on a band saw while high on coke. He has told you he is using. You unfortunately will need to get an attorney to help with this if you do not plan on firing him.

Thanks to all that have expressed their opinion. It is much appreciated. I have expressed my concern for the well being of my friend but can no longer continue to employ him due to many of the reasons many of you have expressed. I pleaded/told him I hoped that he seek treatment quickly but the final decision is his. My dissapointment of him cannot be expressed in words.

The only positive is that he has no family to support so it mainly affects himself.

Happy holidays to all of you.

Wash AR 15

NO!!!!!

so I don't get the job? I'm not picky!

[rolleyes]


When was the last time you heard of a CANCER PATIENT robbing people to get money to feed their habit.

That had rank up their with probably one of the stupidest things I have ever read,  it really does.

Bullsh-t.  They choose to use drugs!

Theres a big difference, I know alot of junkies who subconciously who wanted to become what they became.  They thought being a junkie was cool because it was bad ass.  When I saw one friend spike his arm with dope, he knew what was going to happen. Afterwards he regretted it, but he still chose his road in life, someone with cancer is different.