Prevention

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) updated Overdose Prevention and Response Toolkit provides guidance to a wide range of individuals on preventing and responding to an overdose. It emphasizes harm reduction and access to treatment as essential aspects of overdose prevention.

This webinar introduced some of the best chat tools powered by large language artificial intelligence (AI) that can enhance workflows in healthcare and substance use prevention. You will learn how to access and use these tools, how they differ from each other, and how to protect your sensitive data when using them. You will also see real-world examples of how to apply these tools to daily tasks.

Implementation IV grantees with tools and strategies

This session covered how primary prevention efforts fit within each of the various stages of the Continuum of Care Model. Attendees learned how to (1) engage community stakeholders from each of the 12 sectors and (2) evidence-based practices to not only inform, but to reduce stigma and to create open dialogue as it relates to SUD.

Blueprints Programs website houses a repository of evidence-based primary prevention programs and resources. You can search for programs that fit the issue you are addressing, the audience you seek to help, as well as the delivery venue.

The next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is on April 22, 2023. If you have unused or expired prescription medications, you can locate a safe and convenient disposal drop off location using the U.S Drug Enforcement Association's (DEA) website. The DEA aims to help the public remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing announced a toolkit, Public Safety-led Community-oriented Overdose Prevention Efforts (PS-COPE), which provides framework to use to enhance overdose prevention and response in the Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities. The toolkit provides tips, tools, and resources to help integrate this approach into existing overdose prevention and response efforts.

Background: The US overdose crisis is driven by fentanyl, heroin, and prescription opioids. One evidence-based policy response has been to broaden naloxone distribution, but how much naloxone a community would need to reduce the incidence of fatal overdose is unclear. We aimed to estimate state-level US naloxone need in 2017 across three main naloxone access points (community-based programmes, provider prescription, and pharmacy-initiated distribution) and by dominant opioid epidemic type (fentanyl, heroin, and prescription opioid).

Effective Harm Reduction Strategies for People Who Actively Use Opioids and/or Psychostimulants Participants will learn evidenced-based harm reduction strategies to keep people who use opioids and psychostimulants alive with reduced disease burden. Presenters will discuss methods of engaging people who actively use opioids and/or psychostimulants, harm reduction interventions, overdose prevention and response, overamping prevention and response, and linkages to care.