Line of Duty’s painkiller misuse subplot - and the thrusting of it into the public consciousness - has been welcomed by a Hull charity operating in that sphere.
Generis is a specialist element of The Alcohol and Drug Service, a charity which supports recovery and those concerned about affect alcohol and drug usage has in the workplace.
The sixth series of the primetime BBC drama took the country by storm, with the finale racking up 13.1 million viewers at its peak - gaining the title of the most watched episode of any drama since records began in 2002.
In this series, central character DI Steve Arnott - played by Martin Compston - had become heavily reliant on painkillers following a major back injury in a previous series.
Struggling to deal with substance misuse, fearing of being signed-off from work and in the midst of a crucial case, he does not seek help.
Superintendent Ted Hastings becomes aware, pressing the issue and ensuring he gets help - albeit while continuing to work on the frontline.
Laura Jarvis, senior development manager at Generis, said it was an accurate depiction of real life for thousands of people in the 海角视频.
She said: “The story is not without holes, of course. In real life, Hastings could have put the case and lives at risk, which could have been thrown out because someone didn’t follow due process. Reasonable doubt is all a defence lawyer needs to seek a not-guilty verdict. What better way that at trial to disclose one of the investigating team was intoxicated?
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“It is clear that Ted tried to do the right thing but like most managers, it is difficult to know what to do when this type of issue arises.
“At Generis we provide training and support to prepare employers, managers and supervisors to spot the signs, make an approach and signpost an individual who is displaying issues with drugs or alcohol.
“The important message from Line of Duty’s storyline however, is that Arnott’s experience can apply to anyone. For example, a finance manager who takes their eye off the ball due to substance misuse could miss the red flags of internal fraud. Or a crane operator feeling jaded after having one too many the night before, could drop a large object from a great height. In either case, there are major legal consequences for the employee, employer and the business.
“More often than not, we have found that it is the people who seem to have it all together, at the top of their game in the workplace, can in fact be facing personal battles behind closed doors.
“Line of Duty has provided a much-needed platform to allow discussions around substance misuse, in particular pain killers, to come to light. Both the director and the actors involved have spread a massively important message: substance misuse is a complex issue - it can affect anyone, even those who you may least expect, but you can get help and our team at Generis is here to do that.”
The past year has seen swing into action on the home-working front, launching an e-learning platform to support those dealing with hidden issues.
Fellow city business HI Commercial is also working alongside it to signpost business clients to the services.
Luke Byron, director, said: “As a commercial insurance broker, we know it’s of paramount importance to address the risk involving workers affected by alcohol and or drugs in safety critical sectors. However, we were surprised to find that the number of people, particularly those who are usually office-based, are actually the biggest group affected and make up the numbers seeking help from ADS.”