Opioid Overdose Prevention Programs Providing Naloxone to Laypersons

Organizations training and providing naloxone kits to laypersons can reach large numbers of people who may witness an overdose, result in many reported overdose reversals, and may help prevent opioid drug overdose deaths

. In 2013, 43,982 drug overdose deaths were reported including, 16,235 associated with prescription opioid analgesics (e.g., oxycodone), and 8,257 with heroin. Since 1996, an increasing number of organizations provide laypersons (including persons who use drugs, their families and friends) with training and kits containing naloxone, which reverses the potentially fatal respiratory depression caused by heroin and other opioids.

As of June 2014, 30 U.S. states and the District of Columbia had at least one organization providing training and naloxone kits to laypersons. From 1996 through June 2014, these organizations provided naloxone kits to 152,283 laypersons and received reports of 26,463 overdose reversals. Most laypersons who reported using naloxone to reverse an overdose were persons who use drugs. Many of the reported reversals involved heroin overdoses.