Final answer:
Describing drug abuse as the 'number of missed work days' is an example of a quantitative measure, which is countable and different from qualitative or subjective measures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Describing drug abuse as the "number of missed work days due to excessive use of an addictive substance" is an example of a quantitative measure. This type of measure deals with a quantity that can be numerically expressed and is therefore countable or measurable. It is different from a qualitative measure, which would focus more on the characteristics or descriptions of behavior that cannot be counted.
Drug addiction refers to the compulsive use of substances like psychoactive drugs despite the negative consequences that may arise. Addiction often leads to dependency, whereby cessation of the drug use results in withdrawal symptoms. On the other hand, phenomena that are subjective, like certain symptoms of disease, are felt or experienced by the individual and are not as easily or precisely measured.