What steps can communities take to engage youth in overdose prevention? The following summary provides concrete examples of data-driven strategies to address rising rates of overdose among youth. Case studies were drawn from overdose prevention coalitions participating in the California Overdose Prevention Network (COPN) Accelerator 3.0 Program. These can serve as models for other coalitions and organizations across the country.

The National Harm Reduction Coalition (NHRC) worked with California Overdose Prevention Network (COPN) funded multi-sector coalitions throughout the state in 2022 and focused on supporting coalitions in harm reduction services and approaches for youth. This handout is of the key highlights from the COPN Accelerator 3.0 Program of coalitions working NHRC and implementing harm reduction services for youth.

Exhibit E list of opioid remediation uses in reference to national opioid settlements (2022).

The Overdose Prevention Initiative (OPI) team has created a Fentanyl Test Strips (FTS) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s). This resource is located on the Substance and Addiction Prevention Branch page listed under: Publications and on the fentanyl resource page listed under: Why is fentanyl dangerous.

This fact sheet covers the main discussion points and answered questions from the COPN webinar “Naloxone Supply in California.”

This fact sheet answers frequently asked questions about fentanyl, buprenorphine, and the impact fentanyl has on overdose prevention efforts.

Most overdose deaths are preventable, but the "tough on crime" rhetoric of the decades-long drug war and the stigma associated with drug use have blocked the widespread adoption of life-saving overdose prevention and treatment policies. The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) is leading the national effort to reduce drug overdose deaths by promoting sensible, evidence-based solutions at the state and federal level.

Many individuals consume fentanyl without their knowledge (because they do not realize that it is in a product they’re using), while others are intentionally using fentanyl because of its potency. It is partly responsible for the current overdose crisis in the U.S., combined with a lack of resources and the criminalization of people who use drugs. This fact sheet from the National Harm Reduction Coalition (NHRC) addresses some of the myths and lesser known facts about fentanyl.

This fact sheet makes the case for contingency management as a behavioral treatment option to addressing SUD. It explains some of the legal barriers to implementing contingency management on a wide scale, and why it is important to embrace methods other than medicine in our efforts.

This fact sheet answers ten FAQs regarding methamphetamines and their place in the addiction and overdose discussion.

Deaths due to illicit fentanyl and heroin are now leading drivers of the opioid epidemic. This document argues for stronger support from the federal government in providing resources to curb overdose-related deaths, such as MAT.

Despite data showing the success of MAT in treating drug addiction, objections are still common. This document helps clear up some common misconceptions about MAT, and brings evidence-based practice to the discussion around MAT.

This discussion guide is designed to help you talk with the teens around you about fentanyl in a way that empowers them to make safer choices.

As fentanyl has become ubiquitous across the U.S., it has transformed the illicit drug market and raised the risk of overdose. This article provides insight into how fentanyl has infiltrated the drug supply in America so quickly, and how we can prevent deaths moving forward.

This fact sheet from the Drug Enforcement Administration provides information about the origin and harmful effects of fentanyl.

The CDPH Substance and Addiction Prevention Branch (SAPB) has recently updated its new data resource - Preliminary Monthly Fatal Drug-Related Overdose Counts for April 2021 - March 2022. This preliminary statewide monthly count data is presented by substance and posted on the Overdose Prevention Initiative (OPI) Data webpage. It is intended to provide death data to our partners more quickly. These counts may not represent all overdose-related deaths that occurred during the corresponding period. Subsequent versions of this data resource will also be available on the OPI Data webpage. The CDPH team continues to update the California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard with death data.

In the U.S., drug overdose deaths have increased substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Synthetic opioids are implicated as the primary drivers of this increase. Naloxone is recommended for use and distribution by health professionals and laypersons to address this crisis. Given the relative potency of many synthetic opioids, it has been theorized that higher doses of naloxone may be required to effectively reverse overdoses. This study tests that theory and provides recommendations related to naloxone prescriptions.

Drug overdose deaths increased approximately 30% from 2019 to 2020 in the United States. Examining rates by demographic and social determinants of health characteristics can identify disproportionately affected populations and inform strategies to reduce drug overdose deaths.

There are many reasons a person under the age of 18 may wish to obtain the life-saving overdose reversal medication naloxone or another opioid antagonist. In 2020, over 15 percent (874 out of 5,502) overdose deaths in California occurred in individuals under the age of 25. Additionally, individuals under the age of 18 may be able to intervene in the overdose of an adult, such as a friend or family member. This fact sheet examines the legality of dispensing naloxone to minors in California.

Within the past two years, 93 California hospital emergency departments have ordered 63,816 units of free, take-home naloxone using CA Bridge’s Guide to Naloxone Distribution. Learn about the top 10 hospital naloxone programs and the life-saving impact these hospitals have on their communities.