PHE Guidance
Addressing co-occurring public health emergencies: The importance of naloxone distribution in the era of COVID-19
Until recently, the overdose crisis has been at the forefront of public health efforts in the United States (US). However, with the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid rise in cases across the country, attention has quickly shifted at the federal and state levels from overdose response to minimizing the spread of COVID-19. Rapid public health approaches have been implemented across jurisdictions, including widespread business closures, transitions to telemedicine, temporary closures of parks, and social distancing orders. While necessary to flatten the epidemiological curve of the pandemic, these public health approaches have largely failed to account for the unintended consequences such policies have on structurally vulnerable populations, including people who use drugs (PWUD).
This year the Scottish Drugs Forum #StopTheDeaths campaign highlights the role we all have in recognising and intervening when a person overdoses.
Overdose is not a rare occurrence and the difference between an overdose and a fatal overdose depends upon the immediate actions of people present at the time. You could save a life by recognising an overdose.
#StopTheDeaths images © SDF 2021
