69% of Gen Z use drugs "daily or weekly" to cope with work stress

69% of Gen Z and 68% of Millennials use drugs to cope with work stress "daily or weekly", a survey from Substance Abuse Counsellor.org has found.

Published in November, the drug counselling organisation surveyed 1,000 US workers as part of its report, entitled The Hidden Cost of Substance Use in America's Labour Market.

61% of Gen Z and Millennial respondents reported spending "$50 or more" a month on substances; 41% said they drink alcohol to deal with work stress, while 23% claimed to use recreational drugs such as a cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy, and ketamine.

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The use of recreational drugs was much higher in Gen Z (38%) than Millennials (29%), with just 19% of Gen X and 10% of Baby Boomer respondents claiming to use them.

The survey also classed cigarettes, vapes, over-the-counter pain medication, and antidepressants as "substances" in its report, of which 26% of respondents admitted to using as a stress reliever.

While the overwhelming majority of respondents said they don't consume substances while working, 34% said that they use drugs on the job, while 14% claimed to take drugs "occasionally" without the knowledge of their employer, and another 6% said they take drugs "frequently" and their employer is "aware".

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While 43% of Gen Z respondents reported using substances "weekly", more Millennials claimed to be using substances "daily" (35%). Just 2% of Gen Z respondents said they abstain from drugs altogether.

41% said they felt "pressured" to use substances in order to deal with work stress, a statement with which 54% of Millennials and 50% of Gen Z agreed; just 16% of remote workers said their job had led to increased substance use.

The industries that reported the most substance use were construction and skilled trades (74%), technology and IT (65%), manufacturing (61%), retail and hospitality (60%), and healthcare (57%).

You can read Substance Abuse Counsellor.org's full report here.

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter