{"id":5112,"date":"2026-05-12T06:03:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T06:03:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fasterdraft.com\/?post_type=product&#038;p=5112"},"modified":"2026-05-12T17:11:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T17:11:53","slug":"drug-and-substance-abuse-policy","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/fasterdraft.com\/uk\/product\/drug-and-substance-abuse-policy","title":{"rendered":"Drug and Substance Abuse Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What is a drug, alcohol and substance abuse policy in the UK?<\/h2>\n<p>An alcohol and substance abuse policy is an internal corporate document used by UK employers to establish clear guidelines related to the misuse of medical substances, drugs or alcohol by the employees at the workplace, as well as to ensure a safe working environment.<\/p>\n<p>This policy defines:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>employer&#8217;s obligations on monitoring any incidents related to misuse of drugs, alcohol or substances;<\/li>\n<li>employee&#8217;s obligations to adhere to the standards of this policy;<\/li>\n<li>disciplinary measures in place; and<\/li>\n<li>list of designated officers in charge of the implementation of this policy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The present ACAS-compliant substance abuse policy can be customised for immediate use by small startups, big companies and other types of businesses operating in the logistics, warehouse and healthcare transport industries in the UK.<\/p>\n<h2>Why do UK employers need a substance abuse policy template\u200b?<\/h2>\n<p>There are a number of different reasons for which more and more employers in the UK choose to have simple policies for substance abuse. These reasons include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>introduction of a safe working environment;<\/li>\n<li>reduction of potential risks caused by consumption of alcohol or drugs;<\/li>\n<li>introduction of high standards of corporate culture;<\/li>\n<li>taking care of employees&#8217; well-being;<\/li>\n<li>provision of necessary help in case of addiction;<\/li>\n<li>ensuring overall compliance with this policy within the organisation;<\/li>\n<li>introduction of necessary disciplinary measures aimed to prevent misuse of substances;<\/li>\n<li>compliance with UK employment laws, including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and ACAS guidelines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The present policy is not a standalone document. It is usually used together with the <a href=\"https:\/\/fasterdraft.com\/uk\/product\/employer-disciplinary-policy\"><em>disciplinary policy<\/em><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/fasterdraft.com\/uk\/product\/employee-grievance-policy\"><em>grievance procedure<\/em><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/fasterdraft.com\/uk\/product\/workplace-code-of-conduct\"><em>workplace code of conduct<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>What does this substance abuse policy template include?<\/h2>\n<p>A standard workplace substance abuse policy\u200b usually includes a number of important elements, such as the following:<\/p>\n<h3>Definitions<\/h3>\n<p>In some cases drug possession and usage can be explained by medical reasons. Therefore, employees should be aware of what is considered prohibited substance usage and what is not. A standard policy normally outlines consumption of the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>prescribed and over-the-counter drugs when misused;<\/li>\n<li>solvents and any other similar substances; and<\/li>\n<li>psychoactive drugs and new psychoactive substances (formerly known as &#8220;legal highs&#8221;).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Having a clear definition of prohibited substances significantly improves clarity in implementing this policy correctly by both the employer and employees.<\/p>\n<h3>Internal Monitoring<\/h3>\n<p>A drug and alcohol policy template UK usually introduces a complex system of monitoring and supervision within the organisation, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>assigning employees responsible for the implementation of this policy;<\/li>\n<li>performing regular monitoring of employees;<\/li>\n<li>introducing means of communication to seek assistance for substance and\/or alcohol issues on a voluntary basis;<\/li>\n<li>defining means of communication to report usage of substances in the workplace.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Employees&#8217; Obligations<\/h3>\n<p>A standard substance abuse policy sample\u200b should include a short recap of what is expected from the employees, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>to arrive at the workplace fit to perform job duties;<\/li>\n<li>to not consume alcoholic beverages during the normal day, lunch or breaks;<\/li>\n<li>to conduct professionally during meetings, events and work-related social events, where alcohol may be served;<\/li>\n<li>to not use drugs or prohibited substances at any time;<\/li>\n<li>to not sell, distribute, offer or transfer alcohol, drugs or other substances to other colleagues or within the workplace.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Testing Procedures<\/h3>\n<p>Employers should have tools to monitor implementation of this policy. Such tools may include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>Mandatory Testing<\/strong><\/em>. Signing an employment contract for certain positions may be subjected to the candidate passing a preliminary drug test. This is common for airline pilots, train drivers, nuclear industry employees, etc.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Occasional Checks<\/strong><\/em>. This is a selected drug or alcohol test the employer may perform from time to time with regard to certain categories of employees.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Property Search<\/strong><\/em>. In cases when the employer suspects the employee uses or keeps drugs, alcohol or substances in the workplace, the employer may check the employee&#8217;s personal property and belongings. Such checks can only be performed in the presence of at least two witnesses and the head of the HR department.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Medical Evaluation<\/strong><\/em>. If the employer suspects that the employee uses drugs or consumes alcohol in the workplace, they can require the employee to undergo a mandatory medical examination.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Confidentiality<\/h3>\n<p>All the matters related to reporting, testing and application of disciplinary measures under this policy shall remain strictly confidential. Therefore, a solid workplace substance abuse policy\u200b should oblige parties to keep confidential information about employees&#8217; medical reports as well as outcomes of the employer&#8217;s internal investigation.<\/p>\n<h3>Internal Support<\/h3>\n<p>The text of this policy should outline support measures the employer is ready to offer for employees suffering from the misuse of alcohol, substances or drugs, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>paid or unpaid sick leave;<\/li>\n<li>sabbatical;<\/li>\n<li>paid counselling;<\/li>\n<li>paid medical support, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Is this substance abuse policy\u200b compliant with UK employment law?<\/h2>\n<p>This policy template is fully compliant with the UK employment laws, including the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>best HR practices related to implementation of this policy in the workplace;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.uk\/ukpga\/1974\/37\/contents\"><em>Health and Safety at Work Act 1974<\/em><\/a> dealing with reducing workplace risks and ensuring employees are fit for the job;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.uk\/ukpga\/1996\/18\/contents\"><em>Employment Rights Act 1996<\/em><\/a>, ensuring the right of all employees to a safe workplace environment;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.acas.org.uk\/acas-code-of-practice-on-disciplinary-and-grievance-procedures\"><em>ACAS guidance<\/em><\/a> related to application of disciplinary measures and procedures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How to customise this workplace drug policy UK with FasterDraft?<\/h2>\n<p>To get a fully customisable policy template, follow a few easy steps below.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Click the &#8220;Create Document&#8221; button.<\/li>\n<li>Answer simple questions in the form.<\/li>\n<li>Select a template&#8217;s format \u2013 PDF or ord.<\/li>\n<li>Make a payment.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The substance abuse policy sample\u200b is ready for instant download and immediate implementation right after the purchase.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is a drug, alcohol and substance abuse policy in the UK? An alcohol and substance abuse policy is an internal corporate document used by UK employers to establish clear guidelines related to the misuse of medical substances, drugs or alcohol by the employees at the workplace, as well as to ensure a safe working [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[122],"product_tag":[],"class_list":["post-5112","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","product_cat-hr-templates-policies","first","instock","virtual","purchasable","product-type-simple"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Customisable Drug and Substance Abuse Policy UK | Online Template<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Create a legally compliant UK Substance Abuse Policy in minutes with our solicitor-drafted, fully customisable template for employers. 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