Substance-Related Harms

In Canada, trade workers are the most impacted workers by substance use and addiction (Government of Canada, 2023b). This is due to many factors (Government of Canada, 2023b):

• Trades can be a physically demanding job with stressful components
• Substances are used as a coping mechanism for pain, stress, and/or injury that occurs due to their
  work, which often serves as an introduction to opioids
• Stigma makes it hard to ask for help or talk about mental health struggles, which can lead to using substances as a coping mechanism

Since 2016, 3 out of 4 opioid-related deaths have been men and between 30-50% of men who have died from overdoses or substance-related harms were employed in the trades industry at the time of their death (Government of Canada, 2023b). A study by the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (2023) indicates that the most cited consequence of substance use among apprentices and tradespeople was harm to their mental health. Overall, substance use and addiction can affect a student’s academic performance, increase absences from class and increase the risk of not graduating (Fletcher, 2019).

Current Landscape of Substance Use among Skilled Trades Students

In collaboration with Health Canada and the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC), a nationwide survey by the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (2023) gained insight into the lived experiences of apprentices and key pieces of their substance use, stating that:

• Apprentices and pre-apprentices are more likely to use cannabis than tradespeople
• Mental harm was the most cited consequence of substance use, with physical health, homelife/family relationships and financials situations following
• In Ontario, the most consumed substances in the past 12 months were alcohol (82%), cannabis (56%), psychedelics (17%), and stimulants (15%)

“ I think a lot of people don’t even know the negative effects of substance use until it literally happens to them or to someone close to them. A lot of people I know, they have substance issues — maybe not issues but use substances frequently — they do not see it as a problem, not at all. ”

– Apprentice interview

When working with student apprentices who are using substances or thinking about self-harm and are surrounded by large tools and/or machinery that can be dangerous to them, it’s important to employ strategies that help mitigate negative outcomes, such as implementing safety training and risk awareness campaigns. A client-centered, harm reduction approach maintains an individual’s dignity and respect while trying to reduce social and health harms associated with substance use (Draper, 2024). For more information on harm reduction relating to substance use, visit CICMHs Harm Reduction on Campus toolkit here.

Harm reduction is an evidence-based, person-centered approach that aims to reduce the health and social harms related to specific behaviours. In comparison to traditional approaches, the focus becomes lessening the harms related to the behaviour, rather than simply reducing the occurrence of the behaviour itself.