Naloxone Builds Up Job Site Safety in Wyoming

For Public Health

At a glance

Data from the Wyoming Vital Statistics Services shows that construction workers die from drug overdose at higher rates than other workers. Equipping them with naloxone as part of their occupational safety kits can save lives.

A roofer working on the wooden framing of a roof with blue sky in the background.

Using data to identify priority populations

The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) is one of 50 health departments supported by CDC's Overdose Data to Action in States program. WDH analyzed state and national data to identify populations most at risk of experiencing a drug overdose. They found that between 2017-2022, nearly 15% of people who died from drug overdoses in Wyoming worked in the construction industry.1 Based on the data, WDH maximized their impact by improving access to lifesaving naloxone for people in the construction industry.

Collaborating for maximum impact

WDH partnered with The Naloxone Project to review data from occupational safety and injury reports. They identified a correlation between high-physical-demand jobs and opioid-related risks. Following deeper data analysis and engagement with a workforce coalition, the Wyoming team narrowed the focus of the intervention specifically to roofers working for small-to-medium-sized businesses.

While construction workers in general are at elevated injury risk, the data highlighted roofers due to significantly higher rates of acute and chronic injury. By overlaying industry injury data with workforce coalition feedback, WDH and The Naloxone Project were able to prioritize efforts to expand naloxone distribution to those at greatest risk.

Naloxone: a standard tool for occupational safety

The intervention began in 2025 and is ongoing. In 2025, 209 construction organizations ordered naloxone at no cost for the first time. WDH aims to widely distribute naloxone and essential training to a high-risk industry to expand workers' access to life-saving tools.

"Identifying a specific sector facilitated access to new organizations, while early engagement with workforce partners established credibility and provided critical data. This allowed us to treat naloxone not just as a medical intervention, but as a standard tool for occupational safety, like a hard hat or a harness, which significantly reduced the stigma for both employers and employees."

- Wyoming OD2A team

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Content Source:
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
  1. 2026. Wyoming Vital Statistics Services. Unpublished internal analysis.