addiction

DOL's construction safety advisory committee to discuss opioids, suicide

March 4, 2020

A pair of trending topics will be on the agenda at tomorrow’s meeting of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) Workgroups. The Emerging and Current Issues workgroup will meet from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST to discuss opioids and suicides in construction.

NSC unveils comprehensive plan for presidential candidates to combat opioid misuse

NSC – along with more than 50 organizations – urges candidates to adopt the plan in full or use it to close gaps in existing strategies

February 28, 2020

The National Safety Council (NSC), in partnership with more than 50 organizations and companies nationwide, released a comprehensive, inclusive strategy to address opioid misuse that all presidential candidates – regardless of party – should either adopt in full or use to close gaps in existing plans and policies.

DOL grant to help Maine workers affected by opioid epidemic

February 24, 2020

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced an opioid-crisis National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grant for up to $6,281,891 – with $2,093,964 released initially – awarded to the Maine Department of Labor. The grant will support disaster-relief jobs and provide employment services to eligible individuals in Maine communities affected by the health and economic impact of widespread opioid use, addiction and overdose.

A NIOSH Science Blog post

Drug overdose in the workplace and the role of opioids

Dawn Castillo Steve Wurzelbacher PhD Michael Fiore MS Emily Sparer-Fine ScD Hope Tiesman PhD

February 14, 2020

The drug overdose epidemic continues to afflict our country. Nationally, there were more than 70,000 drug overdose deaths in 2017 i involving opioids (such as fentanyl, heroin and hydrocodone), stimulants (such as cocaine and methamphetamine), and alcohol.ii Nearly 70% of these deaths involved an opioid.ii

Young people are being overlooked in opioid misuse prevention programs

February 10, 2020

Researchers at the National Safety Council and the University of Michigan found that about one in 20 adolescents ages 10 to 17 and one in 10 young adults ages 18 to 25 report prescription opioid misuse, based on a new review published in Preventive Medicine. However, effective intervention programs are not in place to address prescription opioid misuse among young people, and NSC and University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center researchers are urgently calling for evidence-based prevention programs to be developed and tested.

Auto plant closures linked to rise in opioid deaths

January 17, 2020

People who live in U.S. counties where automobile assembly plants close are much more likely to die of opioid overdoses than the general public, according to a study published on the JAMA network. Researchers compared data between counties with automotive plants that were closed between 1999 and 2016 with those that remained open. Automotive assembly plant closures were associated with a statistically significant increase in county-level opioid overdose mortality rates among adults aged 18 to 65 years.

A NIOSH Science Blog post

The role of veterinarians in the opioid crisis

Julie Tisdale-Pardi MA Lee S. Newman MD, MA Lilliana Tenney MPH

November 26, 2019

More than 399,000 people died from overdoses involving prescription and illicit opioids from 1999-2017.[i] There are many efforts to educate physicians and dentists about their roles and responsibilities in addressing this national crisis. But what about veterinarians? Animals, like humans, may receive opioids for pain.

Report: Dangerous jobs, opioid overdose deaths linked in Mass.

November 4, 2019

A report by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) shows a strong correlation between hazardous jobs and opiate addiction and overdoses in that state. The 21-page study titled Opioid-related Overdose Deaths in Massachusetts by Industry and Occupation, 2011-2015 found that there were a total of 5,580 opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts from 2011 through 2015. Of the 4,284 worker death certificates deemed comprehensive enough to study, 1,096 were found to be employed in construction/extraction.

New controls limit opioids for federal workers

September 30, 2019

New restrictions on how long injured federal workers can get prescription opioids have been implemented by the DOL's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, as a way of protecting the workers from the risks of long-term opioid use. The DOL controls – which impose a 7-day limit on the initial fill of an opioid prescription - will apply to injured federal workers receiving benefits under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act.

From 2019 NSC Congres & Expo

NSC soon to unveil Opioid Toolkit

Benita Mehta

September 9, 2019

Lorraine M. Martin, NSC president and CEO, and Joseph A. Reuter, Stericycle executive vice president and chief people officer, spoke to the media Monday morning to discuss the NSC’s new Opioids at Work Employer Toolkit. The toolkit, which will officially be released on September 18, includes more than two dozen resources for four specific groups found in a typical workplace setting: supervisors, HR professionals, safety professionals and employees.