Double the risk of AMD smoking

Drug use by people who work in order to adapt to workplace concern nearly a third of individuals, shows a French study thus highlights the practice of "doping" common.

While doping is the subject of numerous works, the problem of drug use in the non-sporting world remains little studied. However, as pointed out Maryse Lapeyre-Mestre and colleagues Pharmacoepidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Toulouse and intercompany medical service in the city, "workers are increasingly in demand and under pressure performance ".

There is therefore a risk of doping behavior, especially with psychoactive substances, a phenomenon which is at present "largely unknown", even though it can lead to accidents and drug dependence.

An inquiry was conducted by questionnaire to 2,106 people during an annual visit to the occupational medicine. According to testimonies collected, 30% of workers surveyed use of drugs "in order to adapt to a professional environment."

Three lines "doping" were identified (several of these behaviors can be observed in the same person): the use of a drug to be fit to work (20.2%), having permanently on itself or more medications to treat a bothersome symptom at work (11.6%) and the use of one or more drugs to relax or sleep after work (18.4%).

Vitamins (188 of 385 cases) and minerals (55 cases) accounted for the majority of drugs used to be fit to work, to psychoactive substances (anxiolytics, antidepressants ...) in 44 cases and analgesics in 43 cases.

Among the drugs used to treat troublesome symptoms at work were especially antacids, antispasmodics and intestinal motility stimulants, muscle relaxants, analgesics and psychoactive substances.

As for drugs to help relax after work, it was in the great majority of cases of psychoactive substances (229 of 281).

In these drug consumption is coupled with the fact that 27.9% of people said they "have difficulty passing of coffee or tea at work" and 22.3% often nibble at work. In addition, 4.1% reported consuming an alcoholic beverage "to relax or be more comfortable at work" and 43.9% reported consuming an alcoholic drink to relax after a day's work.

The female stress at work and feel job insecurity, lack of satisfaction outside of work or work constituted risk factors for work-related drug consumption.

"Faced with increasing job demands, the active topics are tempted to cope, to use substances [...] This is in fact a doping practice," comment the researchers Toulouse.

The authors point out in particular that, as this survey is based on the statements of the participants, it might have been under-reporting, especially for psychoactive drugs and alcohol, and even though the survey was conducted in anonymously. The problem could be even more important, they note.

The authors relate their findings to those of a study showing that people with stressful jobs were self-medicate or seek to maintain their performance.

"At work, the risk of a mismatch between the scope of the subject and the demands are high. Thus doping behavior are part of the strategies of adaptation 'subjects to excessive personal or social demand, so to stress" "It is possible that the subject adopts risk behaviors," they put on hold. "These risks include, among other alteration of psychological or mental state of the subject that is not recognized in France as an occupational disease."