New research says that construction workers are more likely to use cocaine and opioids than workers in other industries; they are the second most likely to use marijuana.
Researchers used the National Survey on Drug Use and Health to analyze a dataset of 293,492 adults, including 16,610 construction workers, from 2005-2014.
Participants answered questions about workplace drug policies and their personal use of cocaine, marijuana, and prescription opioids.
The research team found that construction workers reported the highest frequency of opioid misuse and cocaine use, and they reported the second highest frequency of marijuana use.
The researchers conclude that prevention and harm reduction programs are necessary to prevent drug-related risks and mortality amongst construction workers.
The researchers saw that construction workers who had unstable jobs or missed work were more likely to use drugs.
Construction trade and extraction workers: A population at high risk for drug use in the United States, 2015-2014. »