NECA Passionately Supports White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) is aligned with the Biden Administration's nationwide initiative to beat the overdose crisis in the United States, through the "White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose" program launched Wednesday, March 13, 2024.

"The Challenge is a nationwide call-to-action to stakeholders across all sectors to save lives by committing to increase training on and access to lifesaving opioid overdose reversal medications," the White House explained in a statement released on Wednesday. While working with a White House fellow to provide our support and encouragement of this important initiative, NECA is one of several organizations and businesses to promote this call-to-action.

"The opioid crisis is a dire national emergency that transcends all sectors of society, affecting individuals of all walks of life, including members of our own electrical industry," said NECA CEO David Long. "It is a widespread threat to the wellbeing of our workforce and the communities we serve. The introduction of the "White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose" initiative is a step towards addressing this crisis. NECA is committed to the health and safety of our members and the wider community. As an association we continue to increase awareness about this effort, promote training to learn how to properly administer lifesaving interventions, enhance access to resources and advocate for safety."

NECA endorsed this initiative alongside our trade association partners with a joint statement to the White House:

"Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA), and The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC) represent over 10,000 union contractors, providing employment for hundreds of thousands of skilled trade workers in the United States. These organizations, in collaboration with union partners, trained thousands of workers on substance use disorder and overdose prevention, and distributed a limited quantity of naloxone. MCAA, NECA, SMACNA, and TAUC endorse having naloxone at all construction sites and urge employers to make the lifesaving medication available to their workforce."

More information can be found online at whitehouse.gov/SaveLivesFromOverdose.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION 

NECA is the voice of the $225 billion electrical construction industry that brings power, light, and communication technology to buildings and communities across North America. Go to www.necanet.org for more information. 

SOURCE National Electrical Contractors Assoc Inc.