Addiction devastating state’s economy, study says

Drug addiction is having “devastating effects” on Kentucky’s economy and workforce, according to a new report by the Kentucky Chamber Center for Policy and Research.

The report, “Working Towards Recovery,” says substance use disorder “is a key reason why Kentucky has one of the lowest workforce participation rates in the nation.”

Candance Castlen Brake, president of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, said, “Statistics showing that Kentucky has one of the lowest workforce participation rates in the country is alarming. Substance abuse is one of the contributing causes in that low rate, as is accessibility to child care.

“What we know is that if we are going to compete for talent and investment, we have to have a statewide solution-driven agenda that gets people into the workforce.”

Dr. Charles Aull, executive director of the Kentucky Chamber Center for Policy and Research, said, “Our new report shows that substance use disorder continues to pull more and more Kentuckians out of the workforce.

“The impact of this crisis on our workforce and economy is another reason why stakeholders in both the public and private sectors need to double down on common-sense solutions.”

The report proposes increased funding for treatment, recovery and prevention, ensuring access to quality recovery housing, reforming the criminal justice system and encouraging more fair chance hiring.

It says that more than 250,000 Kentuckians have problems with drugs and overdose deaths have increased by 118% in the past decade.

The report says Kentucky has the “seventh-lowest workforce participation rate in the nation and has seen a 20-year-long decline in the share of adults actively participating in the workforce. This dynamic has served as a drag on Kentucky’s economic potential for decades and threatens to jeopardize the state’s economic future.”

It says that opioids account for as much as 43% of the decline among men and 25% among women.

Ashli Watts, president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber, said, “A vital lesson we learned from the Kentucky Comeback Tour (last year) was that substance use disorder is tearing families apart and keeping Kentuckians from working and reaching their full potential in every corner of the Commonwealth.

“We must lean into solutions we know can produce results. Working Towards Recovery provides a renewed road map for how to get there and underscores the urgency of this challenge.”

The report says 46% of Americans have a family member or close friend with a current or past addiction.

It says that the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy has found that overdose deaths “have been trending upwards in Kentucky since 2012, despite a temporary drop in 2018. These deaths rose 49% in 2020 and continued climbing in 2021 by 14.5%.

The report says that in 2021, 2,250 Kentuckians died of overdoses —118% increase since 2012.

It says that Kentucky’s workforce participation rate dropped to 57.5% in November 2022.

That means that just over half of the state’s working age population actually has jobs.