According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, opioid-related overdoses took the lives of 33,000 Americans in 2015. Driving the trend is a steep rise in the use of opioid painkillers, with 35 percent of American adults receiving prescriptions for opioid painkillers in 2015. Unfortunately, two-thirds of those individuals have reported that they became addicted in just two months. HR leaders are taking notice and are challenged with getting up to speed on the issue, educating staff and workforce, formulating a drug-testing policy and putting supports in place for those who may be struggling with addiction.

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