Making room for the sober curious: A new approach for HR in wellness and prevention

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As Dry January draws to a close, many Americans have thought at least a bit about their relationship with alcohol. And with the stress and upheaval of the pandemic still having an impact on the workplace, employers also are putting a new focus and emphasis on behavioral health, including substance use.

However, substance abuse experts say the emphasis is heavily on treatment and recovery and not so much on prevention and wellness. And new approaches such as the sober-curious movement and the concept of harm reduction in substance use are still difficult for many HR departments to adapt into workplace applications.