Did you know stigma can shorten a person’s lifespan by 12 years? In this episode of Addiction Medicine Made Easy, Casey Grover, MD reviews what stigma is, how it affects patients with stigmatizing conditions, and how to reduce stigma in health care.

In recent years overdose death rates have been highest among American Indian and Alaskan Native People. Research prioritized by native communities is essential for enhancing and promoting positive health outcomes. The Native Collective Research Effort to Enhance Wellness (N CREW) Program will support research projects led directly by Tribes and organizations that serve Native American communities. The NIH will also support the development of a Native Research Network to provide training, resources, and real-time support to N CREW participants.

How can stigma contribute to the deaths of people struggling with substance use disorder (SUD)? Stigma can cause social isolation and can discourage people from seeking help. Which can lead to an influx in substance related deaths. To raise awareness Shatterproof has issued a report about this pressing issue impacting our nation. This deeper understanding can provide insights into how stigma manifests and impacts people living with SUD, their loved ones, and their communities.

The following document summarizes recent policies in California aimed at overdose prevention, substance use disorders (SUD), and mental health based on a presentation by Riana King, Principal Consultant with the California Assembly Committee on Health, during the Summer 2024 COPN Convening. The legislative policies are categorized into four main areas: Funding Capacity, Treatment & Access, Harm Reduction & Prevention, and Oversight & Accountability.

Explore ASTHO’s Public Health Legal Mapping Center, which utilizes interactive tools to analyze state laws on overdose prevention and public health infrastructure, tracking changes and trends over time.

What steps can communities take to incorporate health equity in overdose prevention? The following summary provides concrete examples of thoughtful approaches to applying health equity in overdose prevention at the local level to address rising rates of overdose. Case studies were drawn from overdose prevention coalitions participating in the California Overdose Prevention Network (COPN) Accelerator 4.0 Program. These can serve as models for other coalitions and organizations across the country.

OD Free Marin provided their naloxone instructional pocket card PDF for other individuals to use as an example to adapt for local use.

The Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association developed the 2023 State of the State, which guides state leaders on the most effective approaches to addressing the opioid and other drug epidemic by identifying 10 evidence-based policy approaches to reduce overdoses. Each of the 10 strategies outlined in the Roadmap points to a specific type of policy that states can implement to reduce overdose deaths and increase access to substance use treatment.

A Division for Advancing Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT) supports the National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program by operationalizing the National HIDTA Prevention Strategy. ADAPT and HIDTA has created curriculum for implementing and evaluating substance use prevention practices within communities and has created videos to assist communities with keeping up to date with advances in prevention science. Their video library has s variety of trainings and technical webinars to cultivate, nurture, and support implementation of their prevention programming and curriculum.

The National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program has developed the Prevention Intervention Resource Center (PIRC). PIRC serves as a repository for publicly available resources for HIDTA communities to advance their evidence-based prevention programming. They have free curriculum available that includes: Sharing Substance-Related Information with Youth 11-18: Integrating the Best Available Evidence to Prevent Unintended Harm, Developing a Communications Plan, Developing Messaging Messaging through Mass Media, and so much more. 

During the Fall 2023 COPN Convening that focused on advancing youth overdose prevention, treatment and harm reduction in California, COPN Impact Coach Mary Maddux-Gonzalez reviewed recent policies (2023) that had been passed related to youth overdose prevention and treatment. This handout provides more information on the recent policies that have initiatives that emphasize naloxone accessibility, on-campus treatment, conservatorship updates, and fentanyl detection measures.

The Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) Network provides training and technical assistance services to anyone in the substance misuse prevention field. It does this by developing and disseminating tools and strategies needed to improve the quality of substance misuse prevention efforts; providing intensive technical assistance and learning resources to prevention professionals in order to improve their understanding of prevention science, epidemiological data, and implementation of evidence-based and promising practices; and, developing tools and resources to engage the next generation of prevention professionals.

The Center for Applied Research Solutions created this presention on key concepts in prevention of substance use disorders. This presentation covers the 6 major prevention strategies that it has developed that cover the following topics for you to apply in your overdose prevention work: information dissemination, education, alternatives, problem ID and referral, community based-processes, and environmental prevention strategies.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services(HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has developed this guide as a starting point to help a wide range of groups and communities move from concerns about substance use to proven and practical solutions. This guide offers brief, easy-to-read information that organizations can use to plan and deliver prevention strategies in a wide array of settings, through a variety of methods.

The Overdose Lifeline is a non profit overdose prevention organization based in Indiana that has informational pages on harm reduction and also has free youth focused educational programs like Aaron's Place: Exchange and Camp Mariposa.

The DEA has joined forces with Discovery Education to provide no-cost online tools that support every member of the community with the power of prevention. Help kickstart life-saving conversations today with standards-aligned English & Spanish-language resources for students in grades 3-12, plus additional resources designed for educators, families, and professionals.

In the month of October, we focus on youth substance use prevention and substance misuse prevention. 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the "Talk.They Hear You." campaign. Prevention efforts enhance protective factors and minimize risks in individuals, families, schools, communities, and society at large. Extensive research and community-based experiences over the years affirm the effectiveness of prevention strategies, see the toolkit for more information, campaign materials, and more.

The Appalachia Opioid Remediation (AOR) database is a living resource created and made available by the Community Education Group, and it catalogues information about how the 13 states of Appalachia are managing and spending funds received from litigation settlements with opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.

The Drug Policy Alliance has created a webpage overviewing information on overdose prevention centers including information on what they do, how they work, and have handouts and a short video to learn more.

This handout provides the key considerations for centering equity in overdose prevention based on Dr. Lauren Powell's presentation to the COPN Accelerator 4.0 Coalitions.