An organizer displays a naloxone kit that people can pick up for free as a 2019 International Overdose Awareness Day training workshop takes place in Victoria. CHAD IPOLITO/The Canadian Press
Construction workers have been disproportionately affected by the worsening opioid crisis, accounting for about one in 13 opioid-related deaths in Ontario between 2017 and 2020, according to a new report released Thursday.
The report, led by researchers from the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN), found that 428 Ontarians who worked or were previously employed in the construction industry died of opioid toxicity during the 30-month period they investigated . That amounts to 7.9% of the total 5,386 opioid-related deaths during that time period, even though those working in the construction industry represent 3.6% of the province’s total population.
Nearly 80 percent of those deaths occurred in the individual’s home, the researchers found. Very few occurred on a construction site or in a hotel or motel used for work purposes.
“That was really the first thing that struck us that these are overdoses that are happening in people’s homes and are happening when there are no people around to intervene,” said lead author Dr. Tara Gomez, who is principal investigator of ODPRN, a regional network of researchers.
Deaths from opioid toxicity among Ontario
construction workers
Number of deaths,, per quarter
COVID status of
emergency
declared in
Ontario
the globe and mail, source: The Ontario Drug
Policy Research Network The Office of
Chief Coroner for Ontario / Ontario Forensics
Ontario Public Health Pathology Service
Deaths from opioid toxicity among Ontario
construction workers
Number of deaths, per quarter
COVID status of
emergency
declared in
Ontario
the globe and mail, source: The Ontario Drug
Policy Research Network The Office of
Chief Coroner for Ontario / Ontario Forensics
Ontario Public Health Pathology Service
Fatalities from opioid toxicity among construction workers in Ontario
Number of deaths, per quarter
COVID status of
emergency
declared in
Ontario
the globe and mail, source: The Ontario Drug Policy Research Network The Office of the
Chief Coroner for Ontario / Ontario Service of Forensic Pathology Public Health Ontario
One of the most immediate measures that can be taken to prevent further deaths is to improve access to the overdose prevention drug naloxone in people’s homes and encourage people to make sure they have someone around , who is trained to use naloxone when they use substances, said Dr. Gomez, who is also a scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael in Toronto and ICES (formerly known as the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences).
This latest report builds on the researchers’ earlier findings in 2021 that about 30 percent of people employed at the time of an opioid-related death worked in the construction sector. The second-highest proportion of such deaths was among those employed in the retail sector, at 5.7 percent, Dr. Gomez said.
When it comes to opioid-related deaths, “the construction industry stands out far and above any other industry,” she said, explaining that there could be a combination of factors.
There are a fair number of people in the industry who have injuries and pain, Dr. Gomez said. If these conditions are not adequately treated, and if people do not have the advantages needed to access medication or other pain management, they may rely on the unregulated supply of drugs, she said.
Dr. Gomez noted that the majority of opiate-related deaths occurred among people who overdosed on fentanyl and also used other drugs, including cocaine and alcohol. People who experience job insecurity and substandard working conditions may also not report injuries or seek support for substance use disorders, she added, because there may be pressure to return to work quickly.
According to the report, mental health problems related to long hours and stressful work environments can also contribute to opiate use.
In addition to making sure people have naloxone at home and don’t use drugs when they’re alone, Dr. Gomez also emphasized the need to reduce the stigma surrounding substance use and provide access to low-barrier treatment.
Carmine Tiano, director of labor services at the Ontario Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents construction workers in the province, said to encourage people in the industry to seek help, it’s important to get the message out that any substance use or the mental health issues they have don’t define them.
“If you understand that — that what you do and what you have is not who you are — it starts to break down the stigma,” Mr. Tiano said.
He said the government can play a role in providing appropriate treatment options so that substance use and other underlying conditions are treated at the same time. In the meantime, both employers and workers should consider whether it is possible for people to work 14-hour shifts for two to three weeks, which is common in certain occupations, he said.
“We’re socially conditioned that it’s okay to work long, long hours,” he said. “But it’s not a good thing… Your body starts to break down and people look for alternatives to feel better.”
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