Drug epidemic taking financial, health toll

To the Editor:

It isn’t an exaggeration to say Pennsylvania’s opioid and fentanyl epidemic is the public health challenge of our time. Across our commonwealth and America, opioid use disorder (OUD) continues to be a crisis that requires our constant attention. Overdose deaths inflict a toll on families, workplaces, communities and state economies.

Fortunately, there is some good news to report: We are making progress. Nationally, 224 Americans died every day from an overdose in 2022. Two years later, that number fell to 150.

But it doesn’t erase the horrifying reality that OUD continues to be a leading killer both in Pennsylvania and the United States. Through only May of this year, 33 million pills have been seized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. Parents, grandparents, and every person connected to children and young adults must learn the risks and the meaning of “One Pill Can Kill.” Only 2 milligrams of fentanyl, which can fit on the tip of your pinky finger, is strong enough to kill a human.

Not only is the human toll a tragedy, the growing financial one continues to cripple local, state and federal government budgets. A recent report by Avalere Health found this epidemic is also taking a remarkable financial toll on taxpayers, costing America nearly $1 trillion per year, with Pennsylvania incurring one of the highest costs at $232 million (behind only Ohio, California, Florida and New York). Pennsylvania’s annual cost per case ($728, 202) is also higher than the national average. Fortunately, America is expanding its treatment options for OUD. Avalere found that a Long Acting Injectable (LAI) buprenorphine, a combination of behavioral therapy and medication, to be the most cost-effective treatment option.

This report should serve as a warning that the war is far from over, and Pennsylvania’s construction industry certainly hasn’t been immune. Mental health ant well-being have always been prime areas of concerns in a demanding business where one in five construction workers struggle with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. In an industry where many workers do not seek help with mental health issues, construction has seen an uptick in using the 9-8-8 national hotline for mental health crises, with 23,000 calls a day to this service. Sadly, construction has the second highest rate of suicides among all occupations.

But our profession is also physically demanding, and some workers require medication for pain relief. Roughly 20% of all prescribed medications to the construction industry contain an opioid. Data from 2011-16 found construction workers experienced 15% of all overdose deaths in the workplace, despite representing only 7% of the workforce.

To help increase awareness of this ongoing OUD threat, the last week in July is Construction Opioid Awareness Week in Pennsylvania. But we aren’t waiting until then to take steps to help educate our industry. Our commitment is year-round and provides important information that is beneficial to everyone in Pennsylvania, not just construction workers.

With the high frequency and severity of sprain and strain injury rates, we’re educating workers about safer alternatives to opioid pain management, including over-the-counter pain relievers, such as aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

The industry is also encouraging construction workers to use the more than 900 drug take-back locations as part of Pennsylvania’s Prescription Drug Take Back program. . At these locations, companies work with employees to drop off their unused prescribed medications for disposal. Medications can be turned over in the original bottle (with personal information removed or marked out) or in a small sealed container.

Employees also are getting “Opioids - Warn Me Stickers.” It may sound simple, but these red and white stickers that read: “Caution: Opioid – Risk of Overdose and Addiction” serve as a glaring alert to be mindful of the medication being taken. These stickers are handed out at the workplace and wellness fairs, included in employee orientation materials, and shared with friends and family.

Pennsylvania’s construction industry is always exploring new ways to help our commonwealth defeat opioid and fentanyl addiction. Much work remains. We hope other industries will join us so we can stop the senseless and tragic deaths of so many mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and friends.

Jon O’Brien

Executive Director of the Keystone Contractors Association