ZAGREB, 20 Oct (Hina) – Alcohol, drugs, gambling, betting, and video gaming are the main workplace addictions that endanger work safety and harm interpersonal relationships, it was said on Monday at the conference “Prevention of Addiction in the Workplace: Responsibility, Support and Practice”.

According to estimates by the EU Drugs Agency, between 5 and 20 percent of the working-age population in Europe faces serious problems related to the use of alcohol and/or drugs. When applied to the employed population, this represents a significant portion, participants noted while presenting research findings on workplace addictions.

Data from the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) show that 50 percent of individuals undergoing addiction treatment are simultaneously part of the workforce, meaning they hold some form of employment.

“Recently, a new national strategy for combating addiction until 2030 was adopted, along with an action plan through 2026, which covers not only classical drug addictions but also behavioural addictions –В from smoking and alcoholism to internet and gambling addiction,” said HZJZ director Krunoslav Capak.

He emphasised that all these addictions are also present in the workplace, as they mostly affect the working-age population.

The research on addictions and the objectives of the National Strategy on Addiction for the period until 2030 aim to establish a clear diagnosis, Capak said, “to see where we stand, how widespread the problem is and what challenges we face”.

Petković: Alcohol is the number one problem

Željko Petković, HZJZ assistant director, presented the research results, noting that there is currently no unified approach to this issue.

“Unfortunately, alcohol is the number one problem when it comes to workplace addictions. As a society, we also face issues with smoking and drug use, and we have not escaped newer, modern addictions such as gambling, betting, video gaming and spending excessive time on social media,” he said.

“The goal of this major conference is to connect employers, occupational medicine specialists and organisations dealing with addiction so that people with addiction problems can get help early, enter treatment and, after completing therapy and receiving support, successfully return to their workplaces,” Petković said.

Anyone struggling with addiction can contact the HZJZ helpline, where they can receive initial advice on whom to approach and what treatment options are available. A dedicated website is also available, providing detailed information about all related activities, it was emphasised at the conference.