We are currently experiencing an epidemic that is silently and severely impacting our country's workforce. Over the past 20 years, opioid misuse has become a common problem in American society that has permeated our industry. In 2016, there were over 42,000 opioid deaths, surpassing automobile accidents in total annual deaths. That is an average of 115 deaths each day, which equates to one opioid-related death every 12 minutes. Over the past 20 years, annual deaths have increased 21 fold and are continuing to rise. This crisis is not getting any better and needs to be immediately addressed.
The first wave of the opioid epidemic began in the early 1990s due to an emphasis on pain management and the ability to quickly return to everyday activities after serious injuries. The second wave began in the early 2000s, with a rapid increase in overdoses and deaths from the only natural opioid, heroin. The third wave began soon after 2010 with increased deaths from synthetic opioids such as Fentanyl. In the aftermath of these waves, the misuse of opioids is so commonplace that 11 percent of those who have taken opioids go on to misuse them.
Opioids are an attractive prescription because they are simply the most effective painkillers available. For a patient who has just undergone surgery, has serious injuries, cancer or other terminal diseases, opioids do the job while pain needs to be managed, but after a few weeks of use, the risk for adverse effects -- including addiction and overdoses -- increases significantly. Constant use of opioids can cause the body to become tolerant and unresponsive to the drug, causing a need for more to be taken in order to achieve the same level of euphoria as with a lower dosage. The brain begins to crave the reward system of dopamine-induced euphoria, causing addiction.
Due to the prevalence of prescription opioids, a potentially compromised American workforce is sparking concern among companies about the safety of their personnel. Statistics show at least 70 percent of employers are impacted by prescription drug misuse. Of those impacted, almost half identified negative business impact due to opioid misuse. Starting with lowered productivity, missed work, increased near-miss and high-potential incidents, companies end up with increased injuries, increased turnover, and increased costs of retraining and healthcare.
The National Safety Council (NSC) provides a Substance Use Employer Calculator through its website. One example that can be found there shows the cost for 1,000 employees in the construction industry. Total lost time would equate to $163,200. Turnover and retraining would cost $131,550, and healthcare would cost $114,348. In total, having 1,000 employees misuse opioids would cost a company an estimated $409,098 -- nearly half a million dollars simply due to drug abuse.
Employers face a litany of issues including substance abuse testing and the costs and limitations for using them, as well as staying within Americans with Disabilities Act and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines. There are solutions being proposed at the federal level, including the Opioid Crisis Response Act, which would fund prevention, treatment and recovery programs. Until those resolutions are passed, the NSC also provides a kit for employers to better navigate the situation of an employee misusing opioids, should it occur.
As a chapter of NSC, the Houston Area Safety Council recognizes that ending the opioid epidemic is paramount to the health and safety of our workforce through more thorough substance abuse policies, testing criteria and effective employee assistance programs. This will take time and effort, but it is critical to do all that is within our power in order to preserve the health and safety of our workforce.
For more information, contact HASC by visiting www.hasc.com.
