Overdose Prevention in Rural Communities
Introduction
Those who live and work in rural communities know that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach for tackling hard public health challenges. Every rural community has its own unique social, political, and economic context that influences the way complex issues like substance use and addiction are perceived and treated. It is essential to build off the strengths that are integral to rural communities, such as their close social ties, while also recognizing the common challenges of stigma towards addiction and limited resources for treatment and recovery. With an ever-changing drug supply, and the many long standing root causes underlying addiction, we must embrace the learning curve that comes with this work and the need to adapt our approaches over time.
This guide is designed as a primer for those working in rural communities who want to familiarize themselves with the basic strategies, resources, and tools for working in overdose prevention. It includes case studies and links to useful resources you can use in your work and share with colleagues and community members. While this guide is tailored for rural audiences, be sure to also review our “Overdose Prevention 101” resource for a comprehensive overview of substance use prevention terminology, tools, and resources.
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