The B.C. Coroners Service has released data on the toxic drug crisis showing the occupations of those who died over a three year span in the province. The industry seeing the largest numbers of drug fatalities is the trades.

British Columbia

Recent data from the British Columbia coroner's service shows that workers in trades, transport, and equipment operation make up 21 percent of toxic drug-related deaths in the province. Researchers attribute this trend to factors such as isolated and physically demanding work environments, high rates of work-related pain and injury, and limited access to mental health support.

Advocates and experts emphasize the need for more accessible treatment options, as many workers do not qualify for public funding and cannot afford private care. The provincial government has provided some funding to support mental health and addiction services for construction workers, but stakeholders stress that addressing the issue requires action at multiple levels, including workplace culture and policy.

Trades most susceptible to toxic drug-related deaths

Those employed in trades, transport, and equipment operation account for 21 percent of deaths on average between 2022 and last year, according to new data from the coroner's service. Researchers say there could be several drivers of substance use from being on the job. DR. KATHRYN HAYES, Coroner's Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Canada Sometimes the work environment is isolated or inhospitable, and it's often really physically demanding work with high rates of work-related pain and injury. One former tradesman says he experienced some of those challenges first-hand. I just started drowning, and my mental health shifted, my drug use shifted, and now what was simply blowing off steam became this place I was drowning, and I didn't know how to ask for help. After seeking treatment, Botkin now provides mental health supports for those working in the industry. In my experience in the last six years working with men specifically in recovery and trying to find recovery and working through significant mental health crisis, these guys are dying to talk about it. They are dying for somebody to hear them and see them and to understand what they're going through. B.C. conservative mental health and addictions critic says the province needs to provide more treatment support. What's happening is you've got this huge portion of the population that kind of falls right in the middle. They won't necessarily get approved for public funding for treatment, but they also can't afford to pay for it out of pocket. This is, you know, the average British Columbian that is struggling right now to get by. CBC News reached out to the province for comment, but nobody was available by deadline. In the spring, the Ministry of Health said it gave $160,000 in funding to a non-profit that provides mental health and addictions care to construction workers. Richardson says there's no one simple solution for this complex issue. We can think about it at the level of the worker and the job and the work site. We can think about it in terms of employers and unions. We can think about it in terms of the substance use disorder treatment system. We also need to think about it at a policy level. Botkin, meanwhile, says mental health conversations on the job site need to be normalized to save lives. Michelle Morton, CBC News, Vancouver. Thank you, Michelle. Thank you.

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