Treatment Considerations for Firefighters in Response to the Opioid Epidemic

Addressing the Impact of Opioid Use Among First Responders

The opioid epidemic continues to pose significant challenges across North America, affecting not only the communities firefighters serve but also first responders themselves. Firefighters face high-stress environments, repeated trauma exposure, and physically demanding work, all of which increase the risk of opioid misuse, dependency, and mental health struggles.

Understanding treatment considerations for firefighters affected by opioid use is critical to ensuring their safety, well-being, and job performance while maintaining the integrity of fire services.