Miners are the heaviest drinkers - food sevice workers the biggest users of other drugs

The US government's just published National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that the overall rate of past month heavy alcohol use among full-time workers aged 18 to 64 was 8.7 percent. Rates of past month heavy alcohol use ranged from 17.5 percent among workers in the mining industry to 4.4 percent among workers in the health care and social assistance industry.

The overall rate of past month illicit drug use among full-time workers aged 18 to 64 was 8.6 percent. Rates of past month illicit drug (defined as marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), inhalants, hallucinogens, heroin, or prescription-type drugs used nonmedically) use ranged from 19.1 percent among workers in the accommodations and food services industry to 4.3 percent among workers in the public administration industry. These findings remained true even when controlling for gender and age differences across industries.