Ontario Construction News staff writer
A new study has found that more than one-third of opioid-related deaths in Ontario between 2018 and 2024 where occupation information was available involved people who worked in construction or the skilled trades.
The report reviewed 15,952 opioid toxicity deaths in Ontario during the study period. However, occupation information was available in only 3,534 cases, meaning researchers were able to determine the industry of work for about 22 per cent of deaths.
Among those cases where occupation was known, the largest burden of deaths was observed among workers in Construction and Trades, followed by sectors including Natural Resources and Agriculture.
“Our findings demonstrate that opioid toxicity death rates vary across occupational sectors in Ontario, with the highest burden observed among workers in Construction & Trades and Natural Resources & Agriculture,” researchers wrote in the report.
The study found opioid toxicity death rates among construction and trades workers increased throughout the study period, reaching 54.6 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2024. Researchers identified several factors that may contribute to increased vulnerability among workers in the sector, including risks of workplace injury, precarious employment and shift work.
Across all industries, opioid-related deaths frequently involved multiple substances and often occurred in private residences when individuals were alone, the report found.
Substance use patterns also varied across occupational groups. Among people who worked in construction and the trades, 49 per cent had cocaine detected at the time of death, while nearly 23 per cent had amphetamines in their system. In the hospitality sector, cocaine was detected in nearly 45 per cent of deaths and amphetamines in about 22 per cent.
More than one-third of people who died from opioid toxicity were unemployed at the time of death, suggesting that periods of workforce detachment may represent a time of increased risk for substance-related harm.
Of the 15,952 opioid toxicity deaths recorded in Ontario during the study period, employment status and occupation were available for 3,534 people. Of those, about half were employed at the time of death, while 3,732 were unemployed. No employment information was recorded for 8,686 individuals.
Researchers said the findings highlight differences in opioid-related harms across occupational sectors and point to the need for targeted prevention efforts for workers and those who have become disconnected from the workforce.
