Stress, Opioid Misuse Taking Toll on Farming Communities – FarmProgress.com
Program strives to help farmers manage stress and prevent opioid misuse on farms.
Ginger Rowsey | Dec 29, 2021 |FarmProgress.com
Three out of four farmers have been directly impacted by the opioid epidemic in our nation.
Let that statistic from the American Farm Bureau sink in for a moment. Three out of every four farmers are or have been directly impacted by opioid misuse — either by having a friend or family member addicted, having taken an illegal opioid, or having dealt with addiction themselves.
It is a startling statistic that shows the extent to which the opioid epidemic has hit rural America. Mary Nelson Robertson, a rural health specialist with Mississippi State Extension, says in many cases opioid misuse on farms often begins unintentionally.
“Farming is a hazardous occupation, but when farmers get hurt, they can’t give up a month to recover. Therefore, they are more likely to be prescribed an opioid.,” said Robertson, who grew up on a row crop farm in the Mississippi Delta. “Their desire to get back on the farm is often noble, but repeated misuse of prescription opioids can lead to addiction.”