New Resources Help Prevent Opioid Misuse in the Home Building Industry

By Carol Rich

Substance misuse, particularly of opioids, continues to be a significant labor challenge for industries across the board — including home building. Approximately 15% of all construction workers in the U.S. have a substance use disorder compared to 8.6% of the general adult population.

The statistics are grim. According to the National Institute of Health, in 2021 more than 106,000 people in the U.S. died from a drug-involved overdose. Ohio has been especially hard-hit: our state ranks fourth in the nation in overdose deaths. And nationwide, construction workers represent about 25% of fatal opioid overdoses among all workers.

People in the construction trades are especially at risk for addiction. Injuries occur more often in construction work than in desk-job fields, and opioids like oxycodone (OxyContin®) and hydrocodone (Vicodin®) are commonly prescribed to treat pain after an on-the-job injury. Opioid dependence, misuse and addiction often begin when workers start relying on pain killers after an injury, especially when they want to get back to work quickly.

Want to know how your business can start or improve a prevention program? Visit nahb.org for more information.

Substance misuse has a destructive impact on individuals and their families, but the negative affect on a home building business is also severe. The consequences for a business can start with healthcare expenses, absenteeism, turnover and a loss of productivity — and spiral into more problems.

It pays for business owners and supervisors to learn about ways to prevent opioid and substance misuse on their job site. NAHB provides multiple resources targeted to the construction trades that can help you with prevention at your workplace.

Partnering with the Job-Site Safety Institute, Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. and SAFE Project, NAHB has taken an innovative approach to addressing opioid use and misuse, viewing the problem holistically and creating solutions and educational resources that address intervention points across the spectrum of prevention, treatment, recovery and return-to-work. Along with expanded online resources, NAHB now has expanded online resources that include the No Shame tool kit, as well as new video materials.

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