---
title: O.C.G.A. § 34-9-417. Education program on substance abuse.
collection: code
id: 34-9-417
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 34-9-417 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/34-9-417
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/34-9-417.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/34-9-417/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t34-(v26)-2017-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=ba91129b_0#page=973
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/34-9.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/34-9-416.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS / WORKERS’ COMPENSATION / DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE PROGRAMS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 34-9-417. Education program on substance abuse.

(a) During the initial year of certification as provided in Code Section 34-9-412.1, an employer must provide all employees with a semiannual education program on substance abuse, in general, and its effects on the workplace, specifically. During the initial year, the first hour of the education program must include but is not limited to the following information:

(1) The explanation of the disease model of addiction for alcohol and drugs;

(2) The effects and dangers of the commonly abused substances in the workplace; and

(3) The company’s policies and procedures regarding substance abuse in the workplace and how employees who wish to obtain substance abuse treatment can do so.

(b) During the second and any consecutive subsequent years of certification, an employer must provide all employees with an annual education program.

## History

Code 1981, § 34-9-417, enacted by Ga. L. 1993, p. 1512, § 2; Ga. L. 2001, p. 800, § 7.

## Code Commission Notes

Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, in 1993, ‘‘semiannual’’ was substituted for ‘‘semi-annual’’ in the first sentence of the introductory language (now subsection (a)).