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We developed an opioid hazard awareness module for inclusion in required miner safety refresher training. The module was disseminated throughout the United States and post-training surveys showed improved knowledge and positive response to the training. Clinicians can improve care of high-risk worker patients by recommending employer support for such training. Objective: In response to elevated risk factors, an opioid hazard awareness training for the sand, stone, and gravel mining sector was developed and embedded in annual safety training. Methods: After positive results from a prior study among Massachusetts workers, a revised training was disseminated across the United States. Two hundred post-training surveys were obtained and compared with results from the Massachusetts cohort. Results: Participants' knowledge about opioid-based medications, confidence in talking to a doctor about opioids and/or to a coworker about their own use of opioids, and ability to refer struggling coworkers to resources improved. Massachusetts respondents had slightly more favorable responses. Both cohorts had strong positive views of the training. Conclusions: These results highlight the feasibility and effectiveness of opioid hazard prevention training for a high-risk worker population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses 1989-2005 data for the Seattle metropolitan area to test the natural vacancy rate hypothesis for rental housing markets using a new methodology. Findings support the existence of a natural vacancy rate for apartments that varies over time, and in some cases across apartment submarkets. Results show a decline in the natural vacancy rate in the time period following the introduction and growth of the Web. Results also show significant differences in natural vacancy rates for different geographic subareas. No significant differences in the natural vacancy rate are found for different apartment types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factors external to a home's characteristics may influence the sales price. This analysis focuses on Bellingham, Washington, because of several influences including the Canadian economy and nonresidents. First estimated is a constant-quality Bellingham housing price index, which is used as the dependent variable in a reduced-form model of market price to estimate the impact of the exchange rate. The analysis (1984-94) suggests that a 10% rise in the exchange rate leads to a 7.7% rise in Bellingham home prices. Additionally, in 1990, non-county buyers paid 4% to 6% more than county residents and non-county sellers received 6% to 8% less. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inequality in housing services for renters, owners and all households in the United States is estimated for 1978 and 1985. Hedonic techniques are applied to data from the American Housing Survey to derive values for housing services that include publicly provided as well as subsidized housing. We find significant disparities in housing, but substantially less inequality than in incomes. In 1978 the top decile garnered 19.2% of housing services while the bottom decile received only 5.1%. The trend, however, is toward greater equality in housing with large and statistically significant shifts across all deciles. By 1985 the share of the top decile dropped to 16.3% (a percentage decrease in share of 15.3%) while that of the bottom decile rose to 5.7% (a percentage increase of 11.4%.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the influence of foreign investment on U.S. residential real estate values. The study uses the Point Roberts, Washington, residential housing market as its focal point, because the market is dominated by Canadian investors and, thus, provides a very good laboratory environment in which to examine the foreign impact on a U.S. market. Factors that affect residential real estate values in this market include not only the general market supply and demand conditions, but also the exchange rate that is faced by the majority of the buyers and sellers. The findings of this study provide insights relevant to other markets that have many Canadian participants such as the border areas of Michigan and New York and certain markets in Florida. Additionally, the results could have implications for other cross-border markets in the world or any other market where foreigners from a single country or area of the world are a factor. Previous research on foreign residential investment in the United States was conducted by scholars N.G. Miller, M.A. Sklarz and N. Ordway. These authors investigate Japanese purchases of upscale homes and condominiums in Hawaii following the dramatic appreciation of the yen relative to the U.S. dollar during the mid-1980s.