Construction Workers and Substance Abuse

Construction workers are an integral part of our infrastructure. In fact, without their skills and hard work, countless buildings in towns and cities across the country wouldn’t exist. They make up one of the largest employment sectors in the U.S. Because of the nature of their work, the link between construction workers and substance abuse is growing.

Many construction workers do labor-intensive work every day. In these environments, there’s a significantly higher risk of injury. Doctors often prescribe opioids to manage their pain. Opioids are well-known for successfully managing moderate pain. They’re also well-known for their addiction potential.

Not only is construction work physically taxing, but it’s also dangerous. In fact, New York University conducted a study that revealed: “construction workers are more likely to use drugs than workers in other professions.”

“Compared to all other professions,” says the study, “construction workers had the highest prevalence of misusing prescription opioids (3.1 percent vs. 2 percent) and cocaine use (1.8 percent vs. 0.8 percent).” But that’s not all.

“Construction workers also had the second-highest prevalence of marijuana use after those in-service jobs (12.3 percent vs. 12.4 percent, compared with 7.5 percent in non-construction occupations). It’s clear that construction workers are looking for pain relief. Many of them find opioid addiction instead.

This is certainly a concern because of the risk of injury that comes with these occupations. The vicious cycle with construction workers and substance abuse is difficult to break.

The Vicious Cycle with Construction Workers and Substance Abuse

The Law Offices of Howard Kitay have been representing construction workers for over 30 years. “Falls are the leading cause of death in construction. Construction workers often work from great heights, such as the tops of buildings, tall scaffoldings, and ladders.”

But that’s not all. The law firm notes that they’re also vulnerable to collapsing trenches, cave-ins, strikes by falling objects, back injuries from heavy lifting and more. The intensity of the pain these accidents cause can be mild, moderate, or severe.

The people in these dangerous occupations visit a doctor to heal their injuries and manage their pain. Although doctors prescribe opioids for pain, the prescriptions are not unlimited. As rules change for doctors who prescribe opioids, their practices are more mindful.

Instead of prescribing medications until the pain stops, they prescribe them for shorter periods of time. That means they renew prescriptions for opioids less often than they did before the opioid epidemic. Frequently, patients develop an addiction to the pain pills by the time they take their last one.

This compels them to turn elsewhere for the pills. However, getting the same pills on the street is quite expensive. For that reason, construction workers often replace them with cocaine, heroin, or fentanyl. All of these are significantly less expensive.

They use cocaine to stay awake during overnight shifts or long hours due to tight deadlines. Some occasionally drink alcohol to spice up tedious jobs, in addition to managing pain. Others simply have the mindset of “Work hard, play hard.” This leads to a major concern with construction workers and substance abuse.

Construction Workers and Substance Abuse Lead to Missed Days at Work

Construction work is sporadic. It often relies on weather and the availability of projects. Any days of missed work is a hardship on people who work in this industry. So, many of them work while they’re sick or injured if they can.

At first, they may perceive drug abuse as helpful in maintaining their attendance at work. Substance abuse eventually leads to absences at work. First, as your tolerance builds up to the drug, you need more. That’s because it’s no longer effective as your body becomes used to it.

So, this tool (no pun intended) that some construction workers rely on to cope with demanding construction work isn’t effective anymore. With the break-through of pain happening more often, construction workers find that they must miss work more often. Additionally, the symptoms of withdrawal are intense, which leads to even more absences.

Another downfall with construction workers and substance abuse is that they become unreliable to their managers. That’s because addicted construction workers miss more work than their counterparts without the struggle of addiction. As time goes on, these downfalls gradually get worse.

The good news for construction workers with addictions is that they’re not alone. There are many treatment centers that can help.

How Treatment Can Help

Addiction isn’t a death sentence, although it can feel that way. The truth is that treatment has been proven to help patients overcome addiction. Addiction is a mental health disease with physical, mental and emotional symptoms. While it isn’t curable, you can certainly manage it after treatment.

A medically supervised detox keeps the patient stable and comfortable while the body goes through withdrawals. Behavioral therapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and individual therapy is an effective treatment for addiction.

Treatment centers are committed to evidence-based treatment for construction workers. Construction workers and substance abuse have a unique relationship. They understand the distinctive needs of a person in this dangerous profession. Most construction workers who come into a treatment center to get help feel that their jobs depend on their ability to use illicit substances.

They provide confidential services, as well as help with the Family Medical Leave Act process. They also offer more than detox and evidence-based treatment. Services include a variety of alternative therapies, aftercare, outpatient treatment, 12-step meetings, and more.

Independent living facilities are a key component in helping many people in recovery. It allows them to get stable on their feet with new habits and coping mechanisms. They live in a safe place without drugs and alcohol.

We care about construction workers, and substance abuse doesn’t need to be a part of their future. Whatever your recovery goals may be, A Better Today Recovery Services wants to help. Call us today. Let us empower you to make the life changes you need.