Substance Abuse Resources

 

Resources to Prevent Opioid Deaths and Substance Abuse in Construction

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) there were nearly 70,000 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2020 – a 36% increase over the previous year. And workers in the construction industry had the highest drug overdose death rates.

 

The construction industry has one of the highest injury rates in the U.S., and opioids have commonly been prescribed to construction workers to treat the pain caused by these occupational injuries. Since use of opioids has led to addiction and overdose deaths, it is important for workers to understand the risks and alternatives.

 

E Light Electric Services, Inc. cares about all of our employees. You are a part of the team and the reason we are successful. We want each and every one of you to enjoy a healthy fulfilling life. If you beleive you or someone you know is suffering from substance abuse, please explore some of the resources below. You can also reach out to Human Resource confidentially without fear of repercussion for more information and resources. We do work in a dangerous industry and all of us work together to mitigate those hazards and perform our jobs safely with efficiency and quality. Let's all work together to fight this latest threat to our industry. 

 

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: Our employee assistance program offers a variety of resources and it is completely confidential and coordinated by a neutral third party. No information is shared with any person at E Light.  Click here for more information.

 

OSHA Opioid Overdose Web Site: OSHA has developed and published information concerning opioid addiction and overdoses. Click here for more information. 

 

CDC Stop Overdose Web Site: The Center for Disease Control and Prevention offers an abundance of information concerning overdose and opioids. Click here for more information. 

 

 

Alcoholics Anonymous: AA offers multiple resources and information concerning alcohol addiction. Click here for more information. 

 

Narcotics Anonymous: NA offers multiple resources and information concerning drug addiction. Click here for more information. 

 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: SMSHA offers information, resources and online or phone support for all forms of substance abuse, including family support services. Click here for more information.

 

Learn To Cope: A peer lead support group for families dealing with addiction and recovery. 

 

Shatterproof: At Shatterproof, we focus on key priorities that make a measurable difference in saving lives.

 

Prevent Construction Suicide Institute: Our mission is to provide and disseminate information and resources for suicide prevention and mental health promotion in construction with the goal of creating a zero-suicide industry.

 

 

Reprint of a recent New York Times Article about the substance abuse problems facing the construction industry.  (This is not the entire article, only excerpts)

 

Construction Industry Grapples With Its Top Killer: Drug Overdose

 

Construction workers are more likely to die of overdose than workers in any other occupation, forcing the industry to rethink its approach to safety. 

 

It’s an issue that the industry — which is already trying to protect its workers from falls, electrocutions and chemical hazards — has struggled to get a handle on for more than a decade. The industry has the highest death rate attributed to overdose, according to the C.D.C. study, which was published in August. The report, the agency’s most comprehensive examination of overdose deaths by occupation, found that there were more than 162 overdose deaths per 100,000 construction workers in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available. The food service industry, with nearly 118 deaths among the same number of workers, had the second-highest rate.

 

But in the same year, the number of overall deaths on the job in construction was about 10 workers per 100,000, according to data from the Department of Labor, suggesting that workers were roughly 16 times as likely to die of an overdose as they were from a work-related injury.  “Statistically, this is a bigger threat to construction workers’ health and safety than the actual work,” said Brian Turmail, a spokesman at the Associated General Contractors, a construction industry trade group.

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The industry mirrors demographics vulnerable to addiction: A majority of construction workers are men, who are more likely than women to die of overdoses overall. Hispanic people are overrepresented in the construction industry and have a rising overdose mortality rate overall.