Construction Worker Overdose Deaths Plummet, Suicides Decline

Last week the February edition of REASON (Resources and Effective programs Addressing Suicide and Opioids Now) -- a quarterly newsletter from NABTU and CPWR that shares solutions, research, and resources -- highlighted 2024 overdose and suicide data. Those figures demonstrate that prevention efforts are making a difference.

Among construction workers aged 16-64, drug-related overdose deaths dropped 28.8% from 2023 to 2024. The number of deaths decreased from 15.9 thousand (K) to 11.3K, and the overdose death rate fell from 135.0 to 94.8 per 100,000 workers. Although 11,000 workers in our industry dying in a year from an overdose is still much too high, the reduction marks meaningful progress and good news!

We believe a series of actions, including many our industry has taken, have contributed to fewer lives lost:

• Education on risks of prescribed opioids and opioids in general
• Fewer opioid prescriptions between 2019 and 2023
• Widespread availability of naloxone on jobsites and in public
• Decreased stigma around substance use and mental health disorders
• Improved treatment and recovery support in the construction industry

We are committed to continuing these efforts, as well as further improving peer support for construction workers, mental health and substance use treatment access, and awareness training. CPWR has developed and collected a range of materials to support construction workers on our Resources to Prevent Opioid Deaths webpage.

Deaths by suicide have also declined. They fell 1.7% from 2023 to 2024 (5.1K to 5.0K), and the suicide rate decreased from 43.2 to 41.9 per 100,000 workers. CPWR offers a separate collection of Resources to Prevent Suicides in Construction. Both the opioids and suicide pages offer links to free resources such as Toolbox Talks, Hazard Alert Cards, infographics, relevant research, and training programs.

We are encouraged by this progress, but our efforts must continue. To make even more substantial reductions in overdose and suicide deaths, the essential actions our industry is already taking must be accompanied by more upstream efforts like reduction of injuries causing pain, increased availability of paid leave, anti-bullying training and policies, and stronger safety culture. Together they can weave a tapestry of interventions that will lead to continued decreases in these preventable deaths.

To learn more about what's working to improve prevention of overdoses and suicides, sign up for REASON. You can also read past issues.