What are communities doing in response to the heroin epidemic?

    Many communities across the country have come together to develop strategic plans to address opioid abuse, including the City of Baltimore, the State of New Jersey, the State of Pennsylvania, and the State of Wisconsin. Samples of these plans can be found on the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Training and Technical Assistance Center website. 

    Resources: 

    Baltimore Mayor’s Heroin Treatment & Prevention Task Force Report

    Date: 
    Jul, 2015
    Contributor: 
    Behavioral Health System Baltimore
    Resource Type: 
    Research Report

    Addressing heroin addiction is a critical priority of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, City of Baltimore, who convened the Heroin Treatment and Prevention Task Force to come up with urgent and actionable strategies. This report outlines the recommendations and the work that must continue in order to address this life-and-death issue.

    Confronting New Jersey’s New Drug Problem: A Strategic Action Plan to Address A Burgeoning Heroin/Opiate Epidemic Among Adolescents and Young Adults

    Date: 
    Jan, 2014
    Contributor: 
    New Jersey Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
    Resource Type: 
    Research Report

    The skyrocketing use of heroin and other opiates has become the number one health care crisis confronting New Jersey. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive and multidisciplinary plan of action to address the prescription drug and heroin epidemic, on March 20, 2012, the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse established a Task Force on Heroin and Other Opiate Use by New Jersey’s Youth and Young Adults. The Task Force was charged to present a report with actionable recommendations that would help to stem the tide of this horrific scourge.

    Letter to Pennsylvania District Attorneys, Police Chiefs, and County Sheriffs

    Date: 
    Jan, 2015
    Contributor: 
    Pennsylvania Department of Drugs and Alcohol Programs
    Resource Type: 
    Resource Document

    A letter to Pennsylvania’s district attorneys, police chiefs, and county sheriffs from state and community officials, encouraging these groups to collaborate and establish naloxone programs to save saves in the State of Pennsylvania. The letter shares information on state laws, including the Good Samaritan law, and provides resources for more information and funding opportunities.

    Project Dawn (Deaths Avoided With Naloxone) Training Video – Part 1

    Contributor: 
    Ohio Department of Health
    Resource Type: 
    Video

    Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided With Naloxone) is a community-based overdose education and naloxone distribution program. This video is a Project DAWN training video on overdose prevention, including recognizing the signs and symptoms of overdose, distinguishing between different types of overdose, performing rescue breathing, calling emergency medical services, and administering intranasal Naloxone.

    Project Dawn (Deaths Avoided With Naloxone) Training Video – Part 2

    Contributor: 
    Ohio Department of Health
    Resource Type: 
    Video

    Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided With Naloxone) is a community-based overdose education and naloxone distribution program. This video is a Project DAWN training video on overdose prevention, including recognizing the signs and symptoms of overdose, distinguishing between different types of overdose, performing rescue breathing, calling emergency medical services, and administering intranasal Naloxone.

    Wisconsin’s Heroin Epidemic: Strategies and Solutions

    Date: 
    Jul, 2014
    Contributor: 
    Wisconsin State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse
    Resource Type: 
    Research Report

    In recognition of the growing heroin problem, the Wisconsin State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (SCAODA) established the Heroin Ad-hoc Committee in November 2013. The Ad-hoc Committee was charged with researching and discussing the incidence of heroin use and overdoses in Wisconsin. The Ad-hoc Committee researched and discussed programs that could be used to prevent the use of heroin, the legal and social consequences of heroin use and substance use disorders (SUDs), harm reduction strategies and treatment options to create safer and healthier communities.