Every International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) workers union hall and union training center is eligible to receive one cabinet with four boxes, or eight doses, of naloxone, a synthetic, potent antagonist for opioid drugs, including morphine and fentanyl. Boxes contain detailed, illustrated instructions on how to administer the drug in case of suspected overdose, which is as easy as spraying the dose inside the patient’s nose. The metal cabinets, offered to sheet metal union halls and training facilities as a member benefit, are not alarmed and are meant to be hung in highly visible areas, said Jeff Bradley, SMOHIT program administrator.

“We wanted to make it accessible to as many people as possible,” he said. “If they run out, they can always order more from us at no direct cost.”

Once hung on the wall at a training center or union hall, the cabinet’s doses are available for whoever needs them, whether the suspected overdose occurs inside a union building or elsewhere. Members can take a box if they’re concerned about a family member or take one to keep at the job site. If an opioid drug is in the medicine cabinet at their house, they should have naloxone on hand. Senior citizens are often prescribed naloxone in addition to any opioid medication in case of accidental overdose. With children, even teens, in the home, naloxone is a good thing to have on hand in the case the unthinkable happens.

Opioid overdose can happen to anyone who is taking the medication or who purchases any kind of medication from anywhere other than a licensed pharmacy, including social media and the internet. Workers who share medications or teenagers who buy anxiety medications off of social media ads are all at risk – because counterfeit opioids look just like the real thing, said Chris Carlough, SMART director of wellness and mental health support.

“The cabinets and doses were purchased to help members save lives, inside and outside of union buildings,” Bradley added. “An overdose can happen to anyone, anywhere, and it’s good to be prepared no matter the circumstances.”

Construction workers build their careers in dangerous situations. Even with every safety measure in place, injuries happen, and when they do, 55% of injured construction workers receive a prescription opioid to manage the pain. Of those injured workers, 29% received two or more opioid prescriptions, according to a study from Workers Compensation Research Institute.

The risk of overdose is a present danger, and that danger differs across populations and industries. Although the rate of overdose deaths in the United States decreased almost 27% from 2023 to 2024, union construction workers are 10 times more likely to develop an opioid use disorder if given a long-term prescription, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“The primary reason we’ve experienced a significant drop in opioid overdoses has been the presence of naloxone, so it’s vital we make sure it is visible and available throughout our industry,” Carlough said.

As of the end of May, 119 orders have been placed, with another wave expected this summer as presentations are made across the country and the word gets out. Approximately 72 sheet metal union halls and 154 training centers will have naloxone cabinets in their buildings by next year, Bradley expects.

Jointly sponsored by the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) workers and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA), SMOHIT was founded in 1986 to address the impact of decades-long asbestos exposure on those working in the sheet metal industry.

Today, SMOHIT’s mission has broadened to include the total health of its members. By providing industry-leading physical, mental and emotional health and safety solutions, SMOHIT strives to minimize occupational illnesses, address mental health and substance use disorder in the industry, prevent injuries among sheet metal craftspeople and provide diet, exercise and other lifestyle information to address the health and wellness of union members and contractors.

For more information on SMOHIT, visit smohit.org or call 703-739-7130.