The recent New York Times article “Workers Overdose on the Job, and Employers Struggle to Respond” indicates that 70 percent of employers reported that their businesses had been affected by prescription drug abuse, such as absenteeism, positive drug tests, injuries, accidents and overdoses. In addition, workplace overdose deaths have increased 25 percent or more since 2010. The article raises the question as to whether employers are ignoring the problem or are simply not equipped to handle the complicated issue that the opioid crisis has become. The Connecticut Opioid Summit, hosted by Quinnipiac University, was prepared to address this question, educate attendees and discuss strategies to deal with the epidemic.
