Substance use and work
With the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada, questions have been raised about patterns of cannabis use at work, the use of cannabis to treat work-related injuries, and the implications of such uses for work productivity, workplace health and safety and work disability management. IWH research examines these questions, as well as questions about the use and effectiveness of narcotics or opioids to treat pain, including pain associated with work injuries, and patterns of opioid-related harms among workers.
Featured
Issue Briefing
Cannabis use by workers before and after legalization in Canada
Since 2018, when non-medical use of cannabis was legalized in Canada, a pair of Institute for Work & Health (IWH) studies was conducted to explore the implications of this change for workplaces. This briefing sums up their findings.
Published: December 5, 2024
Research Highlights
In which occupations are Ontario workers who had a work-related injury most at risk of opioid-related harms?
Formerly injured workers in certain occupations in Ontario are at an elevated risk of experiencing opioid-related harms, according to a study by IWH and the Occupational Cancer Research Centre.
Published: October 17, 2024
Issue Briefing
Cannabis use by workers before and after legalization in Canada
On October 17, 2018, the non-medical use of cannabis was legalized in Canada. To examine the implications of this change for workplaces, the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) embarked on two research projects. The studies explored changes in cannabis consumption habits among workers; changes in their perceptions about such consumption; associations between cannabis consumption and occupational injury risks; as well as the use of cannabis to treat symptoms in the aftermath of a work-related injury/illness. This Issue Briefing provides an overview of findings from these two studies and the potential implications of this research for employers and policy-makers.
Published: December 2024
Research Highlights
In which occupations are Ontario workers who had a work-related injury most at risk of opioid-related harms?
Formerly injured workers in certain occupations are at an elevated risk of experiencing opioid-related harms, according to a study by IWH and the Occupational Cancer Research Centre. Looking within a large sample of formerly injured Ontario workers, occupational groups with greater risks of harms included construction, forestry and logging, materials handling, and processing.
Published: October 2024
News release
News release
Injured workers have higher rates of opioid poisonings than the general population: study
Published: October 2024
Journal article
Journal article
Risk of opioid-related harms by occupation within a large cohort of formerly injured workers in Ontario, Canada: findings from the Occupational Disease Surveillance System
Published: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, October 2024
IWH in the media
Construction ranks high among occupations harmed by opioids: IWH study
A recent academic article with an Ontario focus offers new insights into the links between workplace-related injuries and opioid harms, with certain occupations including construction found to be at particularly high risk, writes Don Wall
Published: Daily Commercial News, June 2024
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series
Cannabis use and perceptions among Canadian workers after legalization
Cannabis use for non-medical purposes became legal in Canada in October 2018. Many jurisdictions have followed suit in recent years. Although several studies have examined post-legalization outcomes in select groups and in the general population, data among the working population is lacking. Early results from an IWH study of Canadian workers suggested little change occurred in the year after legalization. In this presentation, Dr. Nancy Carnide shares findings from four waves of data, examining cannabis use patterns and perceptions from 2018 to 2021.
Published: May 2024
At Work article
Exploring how workplace solutions can mitigate opioid harms among workers
With the recognition that workplaces can play a part in responding to North America’s opioid crisis, the OCRC and IWH brought together over 100 occupational health specialists, government representatives, union advocates, researchers, and others to discuss how to prevent opioid harms among workers. Presentations, panel discussions and breakout sessions provided a lot of food for thought about the way forward.
Published: May 2024
Research Highlights
Workers who had a work-related injury have higher risk of opioid-related harms than the general population in Ontario
An IWH study examined how opioid harms in a large group of Ontario workers who had a work-related injury compared to harms in the general Ontario population. They found that the workers had higher risks of emergency department visits and hospitalizations for opioid-related harms. This pattern was seen across most occupations and industries within this group of workers.
Published: April 2024
Journal article
Journal article
Occupational patterns of opioid-related harms comparing a cohort of formerly injured workers to the general population in Ontario, Canada
Published: Canadian Journal of Public Health, April 2024
IWH in the media
‘Unprecedented public health crisis’: Pioneering research studies links between workplaces, opioid harms
Dr. Nancy Carnide and Dr. Jeavana Sritharan were keynote presenters at the Opioids in the Workplace virtual event from OHS Canada and Talent Canada on Jan. 31 that attracted nearly 350 professionals. Their research, a collaborative effort between IWH and the Occupational Cancer Research Centre, offers a revealing look at the occupational patterns in opioid-related harms in Ontario and underscores the urgent need for intervention strategies tailored to the working population, writes Todd Humber.
Published: OHS Canada, February 2024