How employers can help prevent drug misuse

For the last few years, drug overdose has been on the rise across the nation. More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, the highest death count ever recorded, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That translates to roughly one overdose death every five minutes, which does not capture the numerous other non-fatal overdoses that are occurring, all of which can be prevented.

Synthetic opioids were responsible for more than 71,000 overdose deaths in 2021.  Illegal fentanyl – a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times more powerful than morphine – is more available than ever, now often being laced into other drugs, like counterfeit prescription pills.