National Safety Council Ramps Up Fight Against Workplace Overdose Deaths

As millions of Americans battle substance abuse, the nation's drug epidemic continues impacting households, businesses and communities.

Workplace overdose deaths have skyrocketed 536 percent since 2011, according to the National Safety Council. As a result, the organization has announced a new initiative to make naloxone, or Narcan, more accessible in workplaces.

"The opioid crisis has reached every corner of society, affecting workers in all industries and occupations," commented Lorraine Martin, NSC president and CEO. "Equipping workplaces with naloxone and the knowledge to use it, we can make a tangible difference in saving lives from the workplace to any place."

The Respond Ready Workplace program provides a proactive approach to preventing overdoses, the leading cause of unintentional death in the United States. 

As part of the initiative, the NSC will provide comprehensive training resources, ensuring that employees are well-informed about the proper administration of naloxone. The NSC also plans to disseminate educational materials to "elevate awareness" regarding the opioid crisis and emphasize the significance of naloxone in mitigating its impact. The Respond Ready programs also informs employers about acquiring and incorporating medications like naloxone into first aid kits and other accessible locations. 

Congressman Trone, co-founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force, emphasized the importance of naloxone availability, stating, "Naloxone should be an essential part of all emergency medical kits because it saves lives — plain and simple. I've always been a strong advocate for ensuring naloxone is easy to obtain because I know that overdoses can happen anywhere and at any time. With opioid overdoses ont he rise, workplaces need to be prepared to handle a possible overdose quickly and effectively. It's just common sense."