Resource Library

Toolkits, guides, and other resources vetted by experts in overdose prevention.

 

Filter by category and tags, or search by keyword (ex. COVID-19, harm reduction).

Overdose Prevention Strategies Veronica Johnson Overdose Prevention Strategies Veronica Johnson

DanceSafe

DanceSafe is a nonprofit that provides drug checking and is founded on social justice principles. They are known for testing users drugs at festivals and events and have additional programs ranging from drug education to consent deep-dives to political advocacy to sexual health. You can visit their site to learn more about their efforts or purchase drug testing products via their shop.

Read More
Overdose Prevention Strategies Veronica Johnson Overdose Prevention Strategies Veronica Johnson

Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Naloxone Policy

Santa Barbara Opioid Safety Coalition worked with Santa Maria Joint Union High School District to recently amend a local school policy surrounding medication administration to additionally include naloxone into the policy. This policy allows for the superintendent or designee, or any trained district staff member, to administer naloxone during an opioid overdose. This is an excellent showcase on how COPN coalitions are implementing policy change at the local level.

Read More
Overdose Prevention Strategies Veronica Johnson Overdose Prevention Strategies Veronica Johnson

CA Syringe Services Programs & Harm Reduction

California Department of Public Health has a Harm Reduction and Syringe Access Division, focused on serving people who inject drugs. California law supports public health efforts to expand access to sterile syringes through both syringe exchange programs (SEPs, also known as syringe services programs) and nonprescription syringe sale in pharmacies.

Read More

Increasingly Powerful Opioid Antagonists Are Not Necessary

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.

Read More

Strategies for Effectively Allocating Opioid Settlement Funds

Opioid settlements with pharmaceutical companies have already occurred, and there are more to come. Settlement funds could save lives and mitigate lifelong harms from opioid misuse if they are allocated to the most effective interventions. This webpage offers effective strategies for ensuring states get it right in terms of the distribution and effective use of these funds.

Read More

Legality of Dispensing Naloxone to Minors in California

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.

Read More

Isn't Two Enough?

Racial disparities in arrest rates for drugs are a well-documented (and lived) reality. For decades, drug policy has contributed to skyrocketing incarceration rates among minority populations. This video looks at the reasons behind these disparities, and what must be done to achieve improvements in health and racial equity.

Read More