CNN (12/26, Howard) reports a study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that “people using illicit opioids are not only at an increased risk of a drug-related death, but…they [also] have an elevated risk of dying from noncommunicable diseases, infectious diseases, suicide and unintentional injuries.” The researchers found that “among people who used opioids outside of a prescription, suicide deaths occurred at almost eight times the expected rate and unintentional injuries at seven times the expected rate.” In addition, the researchers found that “death from interpersonal violence was relatively infrequent but occurred at more than nine times the expected rate.”
USA Today Examines The Impact Of Drug Use At Work. USA Today (12/26, Jones, O’Donnell) reports on the problem of people using drugs, or being under the influence of drugs, while working. According to a survey from DrugAbuse.com, 23% of workers in the US “say they have used drugs or alcohol on the job.” In addition, “even if they don’t use themselves, 62 percent say they know at least one person who has had an unsanctioned drink or used narcotics at work.” The article also examines the economic cost of people’s drug usage including missed days, impaired workers, and accidents in the workplace.
Related Links:
— “People using illicit opioids face higher risk of death from these causes, study finds, “Jacqueline Howard, CNN, December 26, 2019