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.
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IWH Speaker Series
Cannabis use and perceptions among Canadian workers after legalization
Published: May 14, 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.
Published: May 9, 2024
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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
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Research Highlights
Formerly injured workers 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 formerly injured Ontario workers compared to harms in the general Ontario population. They found that the formerly injured 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
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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
Journal article
Journal article
An observational study of pain severity, cannabis use, and benefit expenditures in work disability
Published: Canadian Journal of Public Health, January 2024
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IWH in the media
Shining a light on opioid epidemic's link to the workplace
There is a new tool shedding light on opioid-related incidents among Ontario workers. The Opioids and Work Data Tool was developed through a collaboration between the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) and the Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC), Shane Mercer reports.
Published: Canadian Occupational Safety, December 2023
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IWH in the media
Injured workers are using cannabis to self-medicate, study shows
Most workers who use cannabis to treat work-related injuries and illnesses do so without medical guidance or authorization, a recent study out of Canada suggests. This article summarizes findings from the Institute's Ontario Life After Work Injury Study. It found 27.4 per cent of the workers reported using cannabis in the past year. Of that group, 14.1 per cent did so to ease symptoms stemming from a work-related condition, with the majority (67.3 per cent) not receiving guidance on therapeutic cannabis use from a health care provider.
Published: Safety + Health, October 2023
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Research Highlights
Workers are using cannabis to treat work-related conditions, mostly without medical guidance
While cannabis is often used recreationally, there is growing interest in its use for therapeutic purposes, such as for pain, anxiety, depression and sleep problems. Some workers are using cannabis many months following the onset of a work-related condition, whether to treat their condition or for other reasons, mostly without medical guidance.
Published: October 2023