Substance use

The overdose crisis has taken the lives of more than 6,500 British Columbians and more than 17,000 Canadians since 2016. Many of those who have died have several things in common: they were mostly male, a significant number worked in construction and supporting industries, and more than half were living with physical pain. Workers in the construction industry need better support to manage pain and its impacts on mental health in order to reduce their likelihood of substance use disorder, disability, and overdose.

In this webinar, Ashleigh Hyland (Community Addictions Peer Support Association) and Angela Heino (Pain BC) provide an overview of the key intersections between chronic pain and substance use.