Accidental drug overdose is currently the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States for people between the ages of 35-54 and the second leading cause of injury-related death for young people. Drug overdose deaths now exceed those attributable to firearms, homicides or HIV/AIDS. Most of these deaths are preventable, but the "tough on crime" rhetoric of the drug war and the stigma associated with drug use have blocked the widespread adoption of life-saving overdose prevention policies, including Good Samaritan 911 legislation and distribution of the overdose reversal medication naloxone. DPA is leading the national effort to reduce drug overdose deaths by promoting sensible solutions and better policy at the state and federal level.
Legislation Encourages Calling 911 in Drug Overdose Cases; Overdose Is the Leading Cause of Accidental Death in New Jersey
Treatment Providers, Public Health Advocates and Families Who Have Lost Loved Ones to Overdose Applaud Passage of Life-Saving Legislation
Legislation Encourages Calling 911 in Drug Overdose Cases; Overdose Being the Leading Cause of Accidental Death in New Jersey
Treatment Providers, Public Health Advocates and Families Who Have Lost Loved Ones to Overdose Support Passage of This Life-Saving Legislation
Trenton—Next week, the New Jersey Assembly Judiciary Committee will consider the Good Samaritan Overdose Response Act (S851/A578), which provides limited legal protection for those who witness a drug overdose and summon medical assistance. The hearing will be held on Monday, May 17th at 10:00 a.m. in Committee Room 12 on the fourth floor of the State House Annex.
This issue brief explains New York's new 911 Good Samaritan Law that went into effect on September 18, 2011. Enclosed is background information about overdose deaths in New York, details about the new law which seeks to prevent accidental overdose fatalities, and recommendations for ensuring effective implementation of the new law.
Leading Experts Will Testify at FDA Hearing and Capitol Hill Briefing
Drug Policy Alliance Releases Policy Brief Urging Greater Access to Naloxone
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold a public hearing to consider making naloxone more available outside of conventional medical settings in order to reduce drug overdoses from opioid drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet and heroin. This groundbreaking hearing will bring together many of the leading overdose prevention experts in the United States to strategize ways to improve access to naloxone.
A serious but largely overlooked crisis has taken root in the United States. More than 100 people die every day in the United States from a drug overdose. Overdose rates have tripled since 1990 and increased more than 140 percent between 2000 and 2008. This overdose epidemic continues virtually unchecked despite the existence of practical, low-cost interventions.
911 Good Samaritan Laws: Reducing Fear and Saving Lives
One of the reasons I co-founded the Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy at Roosevelt University in 2005 was to bring about a public health approach to drug use.
I’ve spent the last decade of my life working to help others understand and treat people who use drugs with compassion, as one would with any other health condition.
Legislation Encourages Calling 911 in Drug Overdose Cases; Overdose is the Leading Cause of Accidental Death in New Jersey
Treatment Providers, Public Health Advocates and Families Who Have Lost Loved Ones to Overdose Support Passage of This Life-Saving Legislation
Trenton—Next week, the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee will consider the Good Samaritan Overdose Response Act (S851/A578), which provides limited legal protection for those who witness a drug overdose and summon medical assistance. The hearing will be held on Monday, March 5th at 1:00 p.m. in Committee Room 4 on the first floor of the State House Annex.
Research Demonstrates Effectiveness of Community Overdose Prevention Programs
Advocates Call for Greater Access to Naloxone
LOS ANGELES—A new report released today in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report shows that more than 10,000 drug overdoses have been successfully reversed by the generic drug naloxone. The report, “Community-Based Opioid Overdose Prevention Programs Providing Naloxone,” indicates that over a period of fifteen years, just under 200 programs across the country have prevented thousands of deaths.
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