When it comes to opioid overdose deaths, construction workers are among the hardest hit U.S. population segments, a study by the Center for Construction Research and Training found.
The study reported that construction workers are six to seven times more likely to die of an overdose than workers in other professions.
In 2018, 65 unintentional overdose deaths occurred among construction workers, a 35% increase compared with 2017 overdoses, and a nine-fold increase from 2011. Between 2011 and 2017, 25.3% of construction workers with work-related injuries used prescribed opioid pain relievers, the study notes.
Of the 165 reported overdose fatalities between 2011–2017, 47.3% were a result of non-medical drugs, and 24.9% were a result of multiple drugs, alcohol and medicines. Overdose fatalities were more likely to be found in construction workers aged 25–54. White non-Hispanic construction workers accounted for 85.5% of the reported overdose fatalities, according to the study.
The full study, published in late 2019, can be found here.
