U.S. Labor Secretary Acosta Reveals Pilot Program to Fight Opioids
Available funds to be allocated toward training and helping workers affected by opioid abuse.
Stefanie Valentic | Mar 21, 2018 for EHS Today
In a visit to a Columbus, Ohio substance abuse treatment center, U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta announced a new grant pilot program aimed at assisting workers and those affected by the opioid crisis.
The program, which falls under the umbrella of already-existing National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Demonstration Grants, provides resources to states and other eligible applicants to respond to large, unexpected layoff events causing significant job losses, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) website.
“The tragedies of opioid misuse and abuse devastate families and communities, and keep too many Americans out of the workforce,” Secretary Acosta said in a public statement. “President Trump declared the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency, committing the full resources of his Administration to helping Americans impacted by the crisis. The importance of a job and work in reducing opioid abuse cannot be overstated. The Department of Labor’s grant pilot program will focus on returning individuals impacted by opioids to the workplace.”