In the US more people than any any other state in history (save for the worst period of Nazi Germany) are kept as basically slaves in jails and prisons on drug charges and they are loaned out to capitalists. A significant section of the underclass is held down by drug use where they are sedated both personally and politically, forced into the worst jobs, or the reserve army of labor.
This isn’t a conspiracy though. Like the prisons aren’t conspiring with the cartels. It’s all just capitalists trying to make money by screwing someone else over and seeing both extremely vulnerable drug producers and drug users and taking advantage of them. Capitalism rewards this so it’s reproduced until it isn’t possible to squeeze any more juice out of it.
Never admit anything to your boss or the police. If you’re drinking at work you are an alcoholic and you should get help though.