Each year, there are over 42,000 opioid-related deaths in the United States. This figure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has been rising steadily since the turn of the twenty-first century. The opioid death rate is now more than five times greater than it was in 1999. In addition, there are countless Americans who abuse prescription medication on a daily basis. The negative effects of these drugs stretch further than simply death. The abuse of opioids can lead to poverty, unemployment, destruction of families, and many other social and physical consequences. There is, now, no doubt that opioid use in this country has become an epidemic.
The purpose of this toolkit is to help employers understand and deal with this opioid epidemic, create a healthier and more productive workforce, and reduce its costs. This toolkit can serve as a starting point for developing a meaningful opioid strategy.
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