Introduction to the Special Issue: Opioids and the Workplace - Risk Factors and Solutions

Abstract

The workplace has been a neglected element in the national response to the opioid crisis. This ignores that workplace safety and health and drug policies have become important factors in opioid use disorder among workers. This results from physical or emotional pain related to workplace injuries, illnesses, and stress, and through punitive workplace drug policies, failure to address stigma, and inadequate access to treatment and recovery resources. This comprehensive New Solutions special issue encompasses timely cutting-edge research, commentaries, activism, and calls for action on primary prevention in the workplace and intervention research. It also addresses the convergence of the COVID-19 and the opioid crises, high-risk occupations and industries, health inequalities, employer and union programs, peer advocacy and member assistance programs, worker training, health parity for addiction treatment and recovery services, protection of first responders and site clean-up workers, working conditions of substance use treatment workers, and calls for necessary funding.