Colorado ORS Team and ADAPT Strengthen Youth Prevention Efforts
Youth substance use continues to be a key focus of public health efforts in Colorado, and prevention professionals across the state are working to create environments where young people can thrive. Recognizing the power of relationships in shaping youth wellbeing, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), A Division for Advancing Prevention & Treatment […]
“Be in the Know” Campaign Featured on the DEA Campus Drug Prevention Website
“The “Be in the Know” campaign—developed by the Pima County Health Department, law enforcement partners, the Arizona Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) team and university partners—was recently featured in the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s Views from the Field series for its innovative approach to overdose prevention and student engagement. Launched at the University of Arizona in […]
Rocky Mountain HIDTA Drug Information Opportunity Symposiums
Recognizing the importance of collaboration between public health and public safety, the four Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) teams in the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) region—Wyoming, Montana, Utah and Colorado—implemented annual Drug Information Opportunity Symposiums (DIOS). These annual events are designed to bring partners together to share information, highlight effective strategies and […]
Rapid Response and Cross-Agency Coordination Support Overdose Incident in Baltimore
In July 2025, swift coordination between law enforcement and public health partners enabled Baltimore City to respond rapidly to a suspected mass casualty overdose event. The Maryland Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) Drug Intelligence Officer (DIO) was alerted by the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) to a suspected overdose event at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and […]
New York ORS Team Develops and Pilots Innovative Mock Overdose Fatality Review Toolkit to Strengthen Community Readiness
The New York Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) team developed and piloted a Mock Overdose Fatality Review (OFR) Toolkit—a first-of-its-kind resource designed to help communities prepare for real OFRs through a hands-on, multidisciplinary tabletop exercise (TTX). This practice-based toolkit gives jurisdictions a safe, supportive environment to build capacity, strengthen cross-sector relationships and walk through the OFR […]
GA ORS Team Supports the Launch of a Naloxone Vending Machine at Newton County Jail
In a first for Georgia, the state’s Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) team helped launch a new initiative with the installation of a naloxone vending machine inside a law enforcement facility. The vending machine at the Newton County Detention Center provides free, secure access to naloxone for anyone visiting or leaving the facility. This […]
Inside Connecticut’s Response to a Rapidly Escalating Overdose Crisis
Over Memorial Day weekend 2025, Connecticut public health and safety partners launched a rapid, coordinated response to a spike in overdoses in New Haven County. In late May to early June 2025, the Connecticut Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) team identified a surge in overdose activity through the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP) and consequently, […]
West Virginia PHA Advances Predictive Modeling to Strengthen Overdose Prevention Statewide
Predictive modeling has emerged as one of West Virginia’s most effective strategies for improving overdose prevention. From January 2022 through December 2024, the West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP), supported by the Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) and the West Virginia Public Health Analyst (PHA), helped develop and expand a data-driven model that informs […]
Nevada ORS Team Facilitates Partnership for Naloxone Distribution
After meeting the End Overdose CEO, Theo Krzywicki, at the 2024 Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) conference in Dallas, the Nevada ORS team recognized an opportunity to amplify local overdose prevention efforts by leveraging the organization’s proven model of training and naloxone distribution at large-scale events. End Overdose is a nonprofit organization that works to end […]
U.S. Virgin Islands ORS Team Collaborates in the Launch of the USVI Prescription Drug Drop Box
The U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA Prevention Initiative, in collaboration with PR-USVI HIDTA, the Virgin Islands Police Department, the Virgin Islands Department of Health, the Overdose Response Strategy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Postal Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), has successfully installed permanent prescription drug drop boxes at five […]