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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 15, 2024 09:52 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator John I. Kane and Sen. Devlin J. Robinson, Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | 2024 Construction Opioid Awareness Week Resolution |
| We are preparing to introduce a resolution recognizing the last full week in July (July 22-26, 2024) as “Construction Opioid Awareness Week.” As you may know, the construction industry, which involves physically demanding labor and employs an older workforce, is particularly hard-hit by issues related to opioid and prescription drug abuse. To combat this, many Pennsylvania construction organizations provide construction companies, labor organizations and communities in general with educational resources to promote awareness of the problem and potential solutions to help the construction industry and it's employees. While these efforts are ongoing, they are particularly emphasized the last full week in July – the height of construction season. A recent National Center for Health Statistics report confirmed the construction industry has been hit hard by the opioid crisis. The “Drug Overdose Mortality by Usual Occupation and Industry” report, released on August 22, 2023, found the construction industry had the highest rate of overdose deaths in 2020, with a rate of 130.9 deaths per 100,000 workers. This overdose death rate is almost three times higher than the rate of suicide for the construction industry reported as 45.3 per 100,000 workers. More construction workers die by suicide annually than all fatal work-related injuries combined. So, this study and the statistics on construction opioid overdose deaths are startling. This is the first time there has been national data highlighting the impact of opioids on industry groups and occupations. The following organizations are involved in making this week positive in our opioid epidemic battle: Keystone Contractors Association, National Safety Council, Pennsylvania Building & Construction Trades Council, Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, Laborers International Union of North America – Pennsylvania Council, Pennsylvania Utility Contractors Association Pennsylvania, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association – Pennsylvania Chapter, Pennsylvania Builders Exchange, Architectural Glass and Metal Association, Ironworker Employers Association of Western Pennsylvania, General Building Contractors Association, Master Builders’ Association of Western Pennsylvania, National Electrical Contractors Association Western Pennsylvania Chapter, Mechanical Contractors Association of America – Pennsylvania Chapters and American Subcontractors Association of Central Pennsylvania. Our resolution will recognize these efforts by designating the week of July 22-26, 2024 as “Construction Opioid Awareness Week” in Pennsylvania. Please join us in co-sponsoring this resolution. |
Introduced as SR307