So, you thought only movie stars and celebrities took drugs? Guess again. Your profession doesn’t have to be nearly as fancy as those to be on the list of 14 professions with the highest drug abuse rates.

What we really liked about this article and what sets it apart from similar lists is the fact that the jobs you are given are real and specific. Normally such lists deal with categories rather than particular professions. Not here.

Believe it or not, but you and your colleagues might belong to employees with the highest drug abuse rates. When thinking about drug addiction, it is generally viewed as a problem, but nobody knows what effect it has on the economy. Well, Insider Monkey does. The cost of drug and alcohol abuse in the US economy is $442 billion, which is a staggering number. But that’s a mutual effort, coming from all professions, and the unemployed, too. A question arises why so many workers are doing drugs. Of course, it’s mostly related to stress at their workplace. Some jobs are more likely than the others to provoke interest in illegal substances.

The article mentions the prejudices about certain professions. For instance, drug abuse in medical profession is widely discussed and expected. On the one hand, medical workers deal with stressful situations daily, sometimes even questions of life and death. What is more, they actually have pretty easy access to all kinds of drugs an addict may wish for. Surprisingly, the percentage of healthcare workers with substance abuse is rather low compared to other jobs – only 5.7%. Personal service workers are more likely to misuse drugs and their rate is 7.7%. Perhaps a better question would be how much do surgeons drink and how many lawyers are alcoholics. You’ll find out in the article.

Therefore, you have more than enough reasons to click on 14 professions with the highest drug abuse rates. Get ready to be surprised!

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