Demonstrating how collaboration can turn funding into impactful action, South Dakota is expanding access to naloxone through innovative partnerships, resource investments and coordinated community engagement. Using opioid settlement funds, the Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Social Services and Emily’s Hope (a non-profit organization) acquired 20,000 naloxone kits. Emily’s Hope spearheaded the first statewide distribution effort, installing AED retrofits and newspaper-style naloxone distribution boxes to reach communities with the greatest need. With support from the South Dakota Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) team, who connected partners with local organizations to identify priority sites, 10,385 kits (20,770 doses) have been distributed and 28 naloxone boxes installed across the state, including six on tribal reservations.

The SD ORS team also identified an opportunity to expand naloxone access during the Sturgis Rally, the world’s largest annual motorcycle gathering with more than 500,000 attendees, marking the first time naloxone was distributed at the event. The ORS team convened planning meetings and coordinated logistics while strengthening community engagement through partnerships with security teams at high-traffic bars and by providing education and support to local organizations to address misinformation and engage businesses unfamiliar with naloxone. In partnership with Action for the Betterment of the Community (ABC) and Emily’s Hope, 461 naloxone kits were distributed through 47 participating businesses. Law enforcement partners received 50 kits for foot patrol teams, while a naloxone distribution box at the Sturgis Armory dispensed 182 kits during the event and 39 more once relocated to a local hospital. Three reported overdose reversals directly linked to naloxone access during the Rally highlighted the lifesaving impact of this work. Direct engagement with local businesses also surfaced valuable insight on the perspective and understanding of naloxone, helping shape future outreach strategies and highlighting the need for ongoing education and support among business owners who may be hesitant to engage.

Through sustained collaboration between public health agencies, community partners and law enforcement, South Dakota strengthened naloxone access statewide and built infrastructure that supports ongoing overdose prevention.