The CDC-HIDTA Overdose Response Strategy - A Public Health/Public Safety Strategic Partnership

Data Source SR-DDRC on November 20, 2024

Find out about an innovative Public Health + Public Safety initiative.

The Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) is a collaborative initiative between public health and public safety sectors aimed at reducing drug overdose deaths in the United States. Established in 2015, the ORS was established in 2015 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program and operates across all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It brings together Public Health Analysts (PHAs) and Drug Intelligence Officers (DIOs) to share data, intelligence, and strategies to combat the overdose crisis.

The ORS focuses on four key strategies:

1. Data Sharing: Enhancing the exchange of information between public health and safety agencies to inform rapid and effective community overdose prevention efforts.
2. Immediate Response: Supporting evidence-based interventions that can directly reduce overdose deaths, such as the distribution of naloxone, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses.
3. Innovative Strategies: Developing and implementing new approaches at the intersection of public health and public safety to address emerging drug threats.
4. Primary Prevention: Utilizing effective strategies to prevent substance use and overdoses in the long term.

The following logic model was developed to describe the program.

The ORS has demonstrated that strong partnerships between public health and public safety are crucial in addressing the overdose crisis. By working together, these sectors can implement comprehensive strategies that save lives and improve community health.

For more detailed information, you can access the full article here:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9531982/