A study out of NYU questioned 290,000 workers in 13 different professions, and found that construction workers are the most likely to abuse opioids (3.4%) and cocaine (1.8%), and were the second-most likely profession to abuse marijuana (12.3%), with only service workers ahead of them (12.4%).
So, why are construction workers more likely to be addicts? Well, it’s likely due to all the hazards of the job. Construction workers are more likely to fall or overexert themselves, plus they get injured due to equipment malfunctions. They also suffer a lot of wear and tear from the strenuous and repetitive nature of the job.
And all this pain can lead construction workers to “self-treat” with pain meds and cocaine. Ironically, then they’ll go to work on something, which could lead them to injure themselves again.