An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  1. Home
  2. Are recreational and/or social alcohol and drug users protected under the Rehabilitation Act?

Are recreational and/or social alcohol and drug users protected under the Rehabilitation Act?

No. Recreational or social users of alcohol or drugs are not protected under the Rehabilitation Act. The Act does, however, protect rehabilitated alcoholics and rehabilitated drug abusers as well as those who are undergoing rehabilitation, provided that such individuals can still perform the functions of their job. However, the fact that a recovering alcoholic or drug addict is covered by the Rehabilitation Act will not protect that employee from the consequences of his or her misconduct, even if the misconduct is associated with the alcoholism or other addiction.

Last Modified: Jun 02, 2023