Report Says Opioid Use Up, Jeopardizing Job Safety; USW Warns of Testing Problems

The rising use of opioid painkillers throughout American society is posing new safety threats in the workplace, according to a National Safety Council report.

Opioids are drugs that relieve pain by reducing the intensity of pain signals sent to the brain. Common opioids include Vicodin, OxyContin and Percocet.

The number of prescriptions for opioid pain relievers in the U.S. shot up from 76 million in 1991 to 213 million in 2013, a 176 percent increase, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

In its report, the National Safety Council said the drugs can severely impair workers, thereby increasing ...