Listen to Industry Experts Discuss the Opioid Crisis in Construction

Before the first COVID-19 case in the United States, the opioid crisis was taking the lives of 130 Americans a day, on average. NAHB has made a concerted effort to address the opioid issue impacting the home building industry. But the pandemic has presented new hurdles to those struggling with opioids.

People with opioid use disorder are highly vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19 due to social distancing, self-isolation, quarantine and shelter-in-place orders. People recovering from addiction now face new challenges, even as many states get back to work.

One of the main tenets of harm reduction is to avoid isolation. The void of direct access to social support networks, including going to meetings and being in face-to-face contact with supportive friends, is said to be a huge trigger for relapse. The prospect of self-quarantine and other public health measures may also disrupt access to medications and other support needed by people with opioid use disorder.

In the latest episode of the Builders Mutual podcast, Building Progress, Tina Hill, director of workers’ compensation claims at Builders Mutual, and NAHB VP David Jaffe talk about the challenges facing people struggling with or recovering from opioid addiction, and how the crisis in construction continues.

Listen to the podcast below or visit Building Progress for this episode and more.

For more information on opioids in the workplace, contact David Jaffe.