Drug Overdose & Poisoning Prevention

The substance use and drug poisoning crisis has been a priority of Alameda County and other health agencies for decades.

Overdose & poisoning prevention programs range in scope from substance use prevention, which uses knowledge and connection to empower kids and young adults to never start using drugs, to improving and promoting access to addiction treatment, and many interventions in-between.

For information on how to access treatment and recovery support, visit Alameda County Health’s Behavioral Health Department Strength to Rise webpage.

For data and information about one of the populations most impacted by drug poisoning mortality in Alameda County, people experiencing homelessness, visit Alameda County Health’s Healthcare for the Homeless Homeless Mortality Data Dashboard webpage.

Prevention: Preventing drug use starts in youth. Kids are more likely to make safe and healthy choices when they have fact-based education and strong relationships with trusted adults.

Safety and Harm Reduction: When people do use drugs, they can do so more safely by following harm reduction principles like never using alone, using safer supplies, and carrying naloxone. Harm reduction organizations are often the first line of connection to treatment and recovery resources.

Rescue: Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Department personnel save the lives of hundreds of drug poisoning victims each year. They can also be a key connection to treatment initiation for those with a substance use disorder.

Treatment and Recovery: Options for treating substance use disorders have expanded in recent years, with multiple options for opioid use disorder (OUD) alone. Help is ready when it is needed.

 

 

The data tool below provides a view into the current state of the drug poisoning crisis in Alameda County. Click through the navigation buttons to view local data and key takeaways.

A note on language: In the data tool, we use the word ‘poisoning’ to describe injury due to the consumption of a toxic quantity of drugs. In other spaces, you may see the term ‘overdose’ used. These words can be interchangeable, but we choose to use the word ‘poisoning’ here to be clear that not all decedents were intentionally consuming (or “dosing”) a given substance.