Resources to Prevent Opioid Deaths in Construction
According to the recent Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report1, construction workers died of a drug overdose at three times the rate of the average worker. Furthermore, workers in the construction industry had the highest drug overdose death rates. This is the first time we have seen overdose statistics for construction workers reported at the national scale.
It is unclear why the construction industry is so disproportionately affected by overdose deaths. It is known that work related factors can lead to psychological distress for construction workers.2 Furthermore, opioids have commonly been prescribed to construction workers to treat the pain caused by these occupational injuries, which can lead to addiction and overdose deaths – it is important for workers to understand the risks and alternatives.
The following resources contain information about opioid deaths, prevention, and pain management alternatives.
New Newsletter on Addressing Suicide and Opioids
NABTU and CPWR have launched a newsletter to help the construction industry prevent suicides and deaths from opioids. REASON (Resources and Effective programs Addressing Suicides and Opioids Now) responds to these pressing issues by sharing comprehensive solutions, important research, and free resources that highlight positive steps being taken.
Subscribe now to receive future issues and read the previous ones:
- Issue 1 (May 2024) — Peer-to-peer support
- Issue 2 (August 2024) — Increasing access to naloxone
- Issue 3 (December 2024) — Trades Embrace Getting the Word Out about Mental Health
- Issue 4 (February 2025) — Three New Studies to Reduce Construction Worker Deaths from Suicide and Opioids
Click on a topic to see a list of linked resources.
Statistics and Reports
- CPWR: Mental Health, Opioids and Suicide: An Interdisciplinary Annotated Bibliography
- CPWR: Musculoskeletal Disorders and Prescription Opioid Use among U.S. Construction Workers — Key Findings
- CPWR: Prescription opioid use and associated factors among US construction workers — Key Findings
- CPWR: Overdose Fatalities at Worksites and Opioid Use in the Construction Industry — 2019 Quarterly Data Report
- CDC: Drug Overdose Deaths in the U.S. Up 30% in 2020
- National Vital Statistics Report: Drug Overdose Mortality by Usual Occupation and Industry: 46 U.S. States and New York City, 2020
- CPWR: Workshop on Combating Suicide and Overdose Fatalities Among Construction Workers
- CPWR: Reframing Primary Prevention and Opioid Use Reduction in the Construction Industry
- CPWR: Peer Advocacy for Construction Workers Struggling with Substance Use and Mental Health
- National Safety Council: Employers Can Save Average of $8,500 for Supporting Each Employee in Recovery from Substance Use Disorder
- New England Journal of Medicine: Understanding Links among Opioid Use, Overdose, and Suicide
Hazard Alert Card, Toolbox Talks, and Infographics
- Naloxone Info Sheet for the Construction Sector
- CPWR Hazard Alert Card: Opioid Deaths in Construction (English, Spanish)
- CPWR Toolbox Talk: Opioid Deaths in Construction (English, Spanish)
- CPWR Toolbox Talk: Workplace Stress (English; Spanish)
- CPWR Toolbox Talk: Shift Work, Long Hours, and Fatigue: English; Spanish)
- CPWR Infographic: Protect Yourself from an Opioid Overdose (English, Spanish)
- CPWR Physicians’ Alert: Pain Management for Construction Workers
- NIOSH Infographic: Opioid Disorder
Training Program
This piloted and updated training, intended for use by experienced instructors, can be utilized to increase awareness of the dangers of opioids and decrease the stigma associated with opioid use and asking for help.
- Presentation (before downloading, be aware that this is a 100 MB PowerPoint file)
- Facilitator Guide
- Participant Handout
Webinars, Videos, Blogs, Podcast
- CPWR, NLO and NABTU Working to Address Opioid Misuse in the Trades, America’s Work Force Union Podcast — discussion with CPWR Executive Director Chris Trahan Cain
- Opioid Hazards & Awareness Resources — video with CPWR’s Opioid Projects Coordinator Chris Rodman
- ConstructorCast: The Opioid Crisis & Construction — CPWR’s Executive Director Chris Trahan Cain talks about the opioid crisis and construction in this recent podcast
- CPWR Webinar: Opioid Use & Worksite Overdose Fatalities in the Construction Industry: A Look at the Data & CPWR Resources & Efforts
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Play Recording Download Presentation - CPWR Webinar: Strategies to Build Support for Primary Prevention and Opioid Use Reduction in the Construction Industry
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Play Recording Download Presentation - NIOSH Blogs: Opioids
Example: Addressing the Opioid Overdose Epidemic in Construction: Minimize Work Factors that Cause Injury and Pain
Other Resources
- SAMHSA: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Includes useful “treatment finder.” - CDC/NIOSH: Substance Use and Work
- CDC: Overdose Prevention
- CDC: Overdose Resource Exchange
- CDC: Rx Awareness
- U.S. Department of Labor: Recovery-Ready Workplace Resource Hub
- National Institutes of Health: Prescription Opioids DrugFacts
- National Safety Council: Substance Use Employer Cost Calculator
1 Billock RM, Steege AL, Miniño A. Drug overdose mortality by usual occupation and industry: 46 U.S. states and New York City, 2020. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 72 no 7. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2023. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:128631
2 Dennerlein JT, Eyllon M, Garverich S, Weinstein D, Manjourides J, Vallas SP, Lincoln AK. Associations Between Work-Related Factors and Psychological Distress Among Construction Workers. J Occup Environ Med. 2021 Dec 1;63(12):1052-1057. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002311. PMID: 34238907; PMCID: PMC8642263.