NAHB and SAFE Project Join Resources to Tackle Addiction Crisis
Last week, we all learned that more than 100,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses over a one-year period. This is the highest number ever recorded, and sadly, it continues to grow. Now, nearly 275 people die every single day from a preventable disease.
Construction trade professionals have a higher rate of addiction than other members of society. In fact, currently, 15% of all construction workers have a substance use disorder, compared to 8.6% of the general population. Construction workers, who are more likely to suffer from job-related injuries and receive some form of pain management medication, are six times more likely to die from an accidental overdose.
“As a person in recovery who has also worked in the construction industry, I have experienced, first-hand, the devastating impacts associated with the disease of addiction,” said Dr. Brandee Izquierdo, executive director of SAFE (Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic) Project, a national non-profit working to address the addiction crisis. “More importantly, I carried the guilt and shame of stigma and living a life of fear that my employment would be jeopardized if I sought help.”
Izquierdo noted that it is imperative that companies acknowledge the risks of injury in the construction industry and appreciate that those risks can be the catalyst to addiction. Working together, NAHB and SAFE Project have created resources specifically for the construction industry to assist both the worker and supervisor in addressing addiction:
- SAFE Project’s Treatment Locator is an easy, anonymous and non-invasive way to find a facility quickly that matches an individual’s needs.
- Information about naloxone. The life-saving overdose reversal drug should be in every workplace and every public space. This link explains what to do if you witness an overdose, where to find naloxone, and how it works.
- Training for employers. Both NAHB and SAFE Project provide training to share prevention information, identify the signs of addiction, help colleagues find treatment, and support them when they return to the workplace.
- Downloadable toolkits. NAHB has created resources on risks of prescription drugs, prevention tools, intervention techniques and responsible pain management.
- SAFE Workplaces is a suite of training and technical assistance products and services for employers who want to offer help to employees who are struggling with substance misuse. SAFE Workplaces leverages the use of Employer Assessments, Health Insurance Plans, Human Resource policies, Employee Assistance Programs, and robust wellness plans to guide organizations as they better meet the healthcare needs of their employees.
Addiction weakens our foundations, and employers can play a pivotal role in strengthening them. Employers who offer substance use disorder (SUD) assistance find they benefit the health of the company as well: Increasing morale, reducing absenteeism and accidents, and improving employees’ wellbeing overall. Investing in the health of employees not only saves money for the company over the long run, it saves lives.
This February, SAFE Project will be available on site with additional resources at the 2022 International Builders’ Show. Overdose and addiction are not other peoples’ problems; they are all of our problems. Finding solutions together — such as creating safer, supportive, and more responsive workplaces — is our business.
For more resources, visit NAHB’s Opioids in the Home Building Industry resources or SAFE Project.
Written by Jeff Horwitz, Chief Operating Officer of SAFE Project
Latest from NAHBNow
May 08, 2025
Multifamily Developer Confidence Falls in First QuarterConfidence in the market for new multifamily housing declined year-over-year in the first quarter, according to the Multifamily Market Survey (MMS) released today by NAHB. The MMS produces two separate indices. The Multifamily Production Index (MPI) had a reading of 44, down three points year-over-year, while the Multifamily Occupancy Index (MOI) had a reading of 82, down one point year-over-year.
May 07, 2025
Energy Star Transition and Its Effect on NAHB MembersSeveral recent media reports suggest that the Energy Star program, a proven private-public partnership administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is going through a possible transition period that could lead to its elimination.
Latest Economic News
May 06, 2025
Mortgage Activity Levels Off in April as Rates IncreaseMortgage loan applications saw little change in April, as refinancing activity decreased. The Market Composite Index, which measures mortgage loan application volume based on the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) weekly survey, experienced a 0.4% month-over month increase on a seasonally adjusted (SA) basis. However, year-over-year, the index is up 29.3% compared to April 2024.
May 06, 2025
Prices for New Homes Continue to Drop as Existing RisesThe median price for a new single-family home sold in the first quarter of 2025 was $416,900, a mere $14,600 above the existing home sale price of $402,300, according to U.S. Census Bureau and National Association of Realtors data (not seasonally adjusted – NSA).
May 05, 2025
Student Housing Construction Investment Rises in the First Quarter of 2025Private fixed investment in student dormitories increased by 2.3% in the first quarter of 2025, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $4.04 billion. This gain followed a 1.0% increase in the previous quarter. However, private fixed investment in dorms was 2% lower than a year ago, as elevated interest rates place a damper on student housing construction.