Opioid Overdose Prevention Programs Providing Naloxone to Laypersons - United States, 2014

Abstract

Drug overdose deaths in the United States have more than doubled since 1999. During 2013, 43,982 drug overdose deaths (unintentional, intentional [suicide or homicide], or undetermined intent) were reported. Among these, 16,235 (37%) were associated with prescription opioid analgesics (e.g., oxycodone and hydrocodone) and 8,257 (19%) with heroin. For many years, community-based programs have offered opioid overdose prevention services to laypersons who might witness an overdose, including persons who use drugs, their families and friends, and service providers. Since 1996, an increasing number of programs provide laypersons with training and kits containing the opioid antagonist naloxone hydrochloride (naloxone) to reverse the potentially fatal respiratory depression caused by heroin and other opioids. In July 2014, the Harm Reduction Coalition (HRC), a national advocacy and capacity-building organization, surveyed 140 managers of organizations in the United States known to provide naloxone kits to laypersons. Managers at 136 organizations completed the survey, reporting on the amount of naloxone distributed, overdose reversals by bystanders, and other program data for 644 sites that were providing naloxone kits to laypersons as of June 2014. From 1996 through June 2014, surveyed organizations provided naloxone kits to 152,283 laypersons and received reports of 26,463 overdose reversals. Providing opioid overdose training and naloxone kits to laypersons who might witness an opioid overdose can help reduce opioid overdose mortality.

FIGURE 1

Number of survey respondents reporting beginning or continuing to provide naloxone kits to laypersons, by year — United States, 1996–June 2014*^† * Results of a survey conducted in July 2014 by the Harm Reduction Coalition, in which 136 organizations reported 644 local sites where laypersons were trained to recognize an opioid drug overdose and provided or prescribed naloxone kits. ^† As of June 2014.

FIGURE 2

Number* and location of local drug overdose prevention programs providing naloxone to laypersons, as of June 2014, and age-adjusted rates^† of drug overdose deaths^§ in 2013 — United States * Total N = 644; numbers on map indicate the total number of programs within each state. ^† Per 100,000 population. ^§ CDC, National Center for Health Statistics; Compressed Mortality File 1999–2013 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released January 2015.