We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Washington — Lawmakers have proposed bipartisan legislation that would create a committee to advise Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta on ways the Department of Labor could help combat opioid misuse and addiction in the workforce.
San Francisco — Despite a decrease in opioid use among people who have health insurance through their employer, large employers have experienced a sharp increase in costs for treating opioid addiction and overdoses among their workers, according to a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Employers “can and will be at the forefront of implementing pivotal solutions to prevent and treat opioid addictions,” one researcher testified during a joint hearing convened by two House subcommittees.
Chicago — Opioid-related overdoses claimed the lives of nearly 1,000 Midwest construction workers in 2015 – part of an opioid crisis that cost the region’s industry more than $5 billion in health care expenses and lost time and production, according to a recent report from the Midwest Economic Policy Institute.
Minneapolis – People with chronic low back pain are more likely to use illicit drugs, including cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Minnesota.
The number of Americans dying from prescription painkiller overdoses has quadrupled since 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Injured workers are often prescribed narcotics to help relieve their pain. The National Safety Council has launched an initiative aimed at preventing overdoses.
Hamilton, Ontario – Being prescribed an opioid for low back pain may keep workers off the job longer, according to a new study from McMaster University.
The National Safety Council states that overdoses -- mostly from prescription opioid painkillers such as Vicodin, Oxycontin and morphine -- are the leading cause of unintentional death among adults ages 25-64.
More than 40 percent of adults could be risking their health by mixing alcohol and prescription medications, according to a study from the National Institutes of Health.
