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<br /> <br />3 March 30, 2023 <br />a. Provide naloxone to first responders including law enforcement agencies and fire <br />departments. <br />b. Leave naloxone behind at scenes of overdose emergency calls. <br />c. Provide naloxone to individuals being released from treatment and incarceration. <br />d. Provide naloxone to persons who use prescription and illicit opioids. <br />e. Work with pharmacies to provide no-cost naloxone to patients who cannot afford it. <br />f. Provide naloxone to organizations that serve high-risk individuals. <br />g. Research the use of vending machines for low-barrier distribution of naloxone. <br /> <br />3. Maintain a comprehensive, needs-based harm reduction program for persons who use drugs. <br />a. Offer harm reduction supplies including syringes, safer use supplies, wound care <br />supplies, naloxone, fentanyl testing strips, sharps containers, and safer sex supplies. <br />b. Provide services, education and training including safer injection education, overdose <br />response training, naloxone training, safer sex education, education on HIV, hepatitis C <br />and STIs, rapid HIV and hepatitis C testing, immunizations, and sharps disposal. <br />c. Provide referrals to treatment, healthcare, behavioral health, housing, employment, and <br />social services. <br />d. Explore and implement new and promising practices for harm reduction programming <br />as funding allows. <br /> <br />Future Strategies Proposal <br /> <br />Dependent on funding and collaboration between FCPH and partnering agencies, two other opioid <br />mitigation strategies could be implemented, including the establishment of an overdose response team, <br />and naloxone distribution to incarcerated individuals upon release. <br /> <br />Drug overdose is the leading cause of death after release from prison. Data show the increased risk of <br />overdose for those newly released from incarceration and the effectiveness of naloxone distribution to <br />prevent it. According to the CDC, a large meta-analysis of data from several different nations found that <br />individuals released from incarceration experience a three to eight-fold increase in the rate of overdose <br />death in the first two weeks after release compared to weeks three through twelve following release. <br />Further, a study conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health found that individuals <br />recently released from incarceration are 56 times more likely to overdose than members of the general <br />public, indicating urgent need to scale up overdose prevention services for this population. Also <br />according to the CDC, an evidence-based strategy for preventing opioid overdose is to distribute <br />naloxone in criminal justice settings upon release. <br /> <br />With Cass County approval, FCPH proposes to provide opioid overdose prevention and Narcan <br />administration training to inmates prior to release, and have jail staff distribute Narcan to inmates upon <br />release. Naloxone distribution to inmates upon release has been successfully implemented by the ND <br />Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation at the State Penitentiary in Bismarck, and at some county <br />jails including in Richland County. <br /> <br />FCPH also proposes implementation of an overdose outreach team to prevent overdose recurrence. <br />Overdoses and deaths from overdose are preventable, there are effective forms of treatment for <br />substance use disorders, and recovery is possible. <br />