Opioid Overdose Prevention Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND)

Naloxone administration can reverse an opioid overdose if given in time and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for both over-the counter and prescription use. Overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) programs train people on how to recognize an overdose, administer naloxone to someone who they suspect may be overdosing, and make naloxone widely available in communities. HCS communities implemented a variety of OEND programs to increase the availability of naloxone with the goal of reducing overdose deaths.

Ask the Expert: Dr. Alexander Walley Corrects Myths about Naloxone

Dr. Alexander Walley, Professor at Boston University School of Medicine and HCS principal investigator, debunks common myths about naloxone and explains its life-saving potential.

Courtesy of HEAL Connections

Quick Guides to Evidence-based Practices

Making Naloxone Available in Overdose Hotspots

Community naloxone cabinets are de-stigmatized, anonymous sources of life-saving naloxone located in overdose hotspots, or areas within a community where overdoses commonly occur.

Distributing Naloxone through Social Networks

Paid peer distributors can deliver naloxone to people in their social networks who are at risk of an overdose yet disconnected from overdose prevention services.

Naloxone Leave Behind Program

Leave-behind Naloxone programs allow public safety personnel to distribute naloxone to individuals who have experienced an overdose.

OEND Resources from the HEALing Communities Study

Fentanyl Myths

Video providing overview of fentanyl that also addresses common fentanyl myths individuals may have heard.

How to Use Naloxone

This video provides instruction on how to respond to a suspected opioid overdose and how to administer the life-saving drug naloxone, with visual demonstration.

Overdose Education & Naloxone Distribution Outreach Manual

This manual aims to guide community members and agencies in launching effective opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution outreach campaigns, drawing from lessons learned from HEALing Communities Study - Kentucky. It offers suggestions on staffing, venues, scheduling, materials, attire, and tracking efforts, acknowledging the uniqueness of each community's needs.

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Evidence to Action: Stories from the HEALing Communities Study

Monroe, Ulster and Cayuga Counties, New York
New York’s Peer-led Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Programs Build Trust, Save Lives

In New York state, more than 1,000 overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) programs are educating citizens about how to prevent and respond to an overdose. Read about three examples of community-led programs that work to spread information about overdose and get naloxone into the hands of people at highest risk.

Kentucky
Overdose Recognition and Response for Bystanders

A printable trifold brochure that instructs bystanders on how to identify an opioid overdose, call for help, and administer naloxone and rescue breathing.

Stories from the Field