Fact Sheet

Drug overdose continues to claim the lives of tens of thousands of people in the U.S. every year. Opioids, both prescription painkillers and street drugs such as heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl, are responsible for the majority of these deaths. In response, states have passed legislation to increase access to the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone, including provisions that allow for the distribution of naloxone through pharmacies. Some states have gone further and now require that naloxone be prescribed or offered to some patients. This fact sheet describes those requirements and links to the relevant laws.

This fact sheet addresses 988’s key features, including why it was adopted, current suicide trends and risks, covered provider obligations and timing, and some key features of recent supportive legislation.

The health and wellness of tribal nations depend on effective data collection and analysis. Despite being sovereign nations, tribes need help from the states in gathering the data needed to improve tribal health and well-being, but a lack of trust has interfered with data sharing arrangements. The keys to establishing and maintaining trust are respecting tribal data sovereignty and honoring the United States’ trust responsibility to tribal nations. This fact sheet focuses on strategies states should take to support indigenous data sovereignty.   

This fact sheet briefly summarizes the state of the law in Idaho related to naloxone access, overdose Good Samaritan protections, and access to injection equipment.

Some police departments in Michigan participate in the Families Against Narcotics Comeback Quick Response Team (FAN COMEBACK QRT). The purpose of this initiative is to collaborate across the community to prevent and respond to opioid overdoses. Partners include police departments, substance use treatment providers, recovery services, peer support services and community support services.

This fact sheet describes Michigan state laws and regulations that govern public bodies and employees with regard to several categories of activity: (1) lobbying of state government officials; (2) public employees’ participation in political activities; and (3) use of public funds for political activities.

While states have passed various laws designed to increase access to naloxone, a life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication, none explicitly address the legality of dispensing naloxone that is past its expiration date. This fact sheet discusses whether Georgia laws forbid the prescription, dispensing, distribution, possession, or administration of expired naloxone and whether such actions impact the risk of civil liability for medical professionals who prescribe or dispense naloxone or laypeople who distribute or administer it.

This fact sheet provides information on the Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline Program.

This fact sheet discusses whether District of Columbia laws forbid the prescription, dispensing, distribution, possession, or administration of expired naloxone and whether such actions impact the risk of civil liability for medical professionals who prescribe or dispense naloxone or laypeople who distribute or administer it.

This fact sheet discusses whether Illinois laws forbids the prescription, dispensing, distribution, possession, or administration of expired naloxone.