A grim construct Hardhats most likely to misuse opioids: study
Construction workers are more likely to misuse prescription opioids than people in any other profession, a new New York University study found.
The findings, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, rely on data gathered from 293,492 participants between 2005 to 2014.
Of the 16,610 construction workers surveyed, 3.4% reported misusing prescription opioids compared with 2% of people in 13 other occupations.
Given the physically intense nature of the work and injuries common to the workplace, the study’s authors said they weren’t surprised by the findings, but pointed out higher misuse put hardhats at greater risk on the job site.
“Construction workers are at an increased risk for drug use, which makes them vulnerable to work-related injuries or even overdose deaths,” said Danielle Ompad, the study’s lead author and an associate professor of epidemiology at NYU’s College of Global Public Health.
The study found construction workers are also most likely to use cocaine and second most likely to smoke pot of any profession surveyed.
Erratic and unstable work schedules seem to play a role in drug use, the study found.
Workers unemployed for a week at a time and workers answering to three or more employers were more likely to use cocaine or nonprescription opioids, the study found. Missing between three to five workdays over a month’s span doubled the odds a worker would misuse opioids.
Workplace drug testing may play a role in protecting workers, Ompad said, but she added that her study also suggested “prevention and harm reduction programming is needed to prevent drug-related risks and mortality among this population.”