Substance use and work

A Canadian review of five studies have found a link between opioid prescriptions and longer duration of time on disability, writes Sarah Dobson, who interviews Dr. Nancy Carnide and Dr. Andrea Furlan, among others, about implications of this IWH study.

Published: Canadian HR Reporter, June 2018

Published: Canadian Journal of Pain, June 2018

Virtually nothing is known about why Canadians use cannabis on the job or how common it is for people to consume it at work, says the Institute for Work & Health's Dr. Nancy Carnide in this article on cannabis in the workplace.

Published: The Globe and Mail, April 2018

A systematic review on early opioid prescription for MSDs and work disability finds a consistent link with longer work disability. However, review authors urge caution in drawing a conclusion about cause and effect.

Published: February 2018

The federal government’s commitment to legalize recreational marijuana by July 1, 2018 raises occupational health and safety concerns for many employers. At the Institute for Work & Health (IWH), we have been reviewing the effects of various drugs that act on the central nervous system — including marijuana — on workplace injuries, deaths and near-misses, write IWH's Dr. Andrea Furlan and Dr. Nancy Carnide. What is striking is how little high-quality evidence there is on the impacts of marijuana in the workplace and how inconsistent the existing data is.

Published: The Conversation, January 2018

Once recreational cannabis use becomes legal, taking a “smoke break” at work could suddenly become much more complicated, writes Cassandra Szklarski of the Canadian Press. The Institute for Work & Health's Dr. Andrea Furlan and Dr. Nancy Carnide are among those interviewed.

Published: National Post, December 2017

The legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada came closer to reality on April 13, when the Justin Trudeau government introduced the Cannabis Act, or Bill C-45. While pot users across the country applaud the move, others have raised concerns about the effect that the proposed legislation would have on workplace safety, writes Jeff Cottrill in an article that quotes the Institute for Work & Health's Dr. Andrea Furlan.

Published: OHS Canada, August 2017

Published: Clinical Journal of Pain, July 2017

IWH is leading a systematic review to determine the level and quality of research evidence on the association between workers’ use of agents that act on the central nervous system (e.g. opioids, cannabis) and the risk of workplace injury, reinjury, near misses and death, including outcomes affecting co-workers and others in the immediate workplace.

Status: Completed 2019

IWH opioid and chronic pain expert, Dr. Andrea Furlan, helps shape new rules in her role on drug advisory committee.

Published: December 2014