A National Institutes of Health study shows physically demanding jobs—such as those in construction—have higher proportions of synthetic opioid overdose deaths co-involving psychostimulants such as methamphetamines or cocaine, according to Safety+Health magazine. The study was published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
NIH researchers examined 2022 mortality data for U.S. residents ages 15-64 in the National Vital Statistics System and found of the nearly 70,000 fatal synthetic opioid overdoses identified, 53.6% involved stimulants. Workers in construction and extraction jobs accounted for more than 11,800 deaths, and more than 55% of deaths involved psychostimulants.
According to the researchers: “One potential explanation for these patterns is that psychostimulants are better suited for counteracting opioid-involved lethargy in physically demanding occupations. Previous studies have observed that persons who use opioids report intentional co-use of methamphetamine to improve functioning in their fast-paced, manual occupations. Similarly, workers in construction and landscaping jobs report using methamphetamine to reduce pain associated with working in these labor-intensive jobs.”
The report said considering the results, employers who want to implement work-related substance use and overdose prevention programs at their companies may need to tailor their approaches based on the potential for psychostimulant or cocaine use in their industry.
