Opioid Epidemic
The United States is currently experiencing an opioid epidemic, as drug overdose deaths have become a leading cause of injury and death, with recent estimates reporting that 115 Americans die each day from drug overdose.
Of the 64,000 drug overdose deaths in 2016, opioids were responsible for 42,000 of these deaths, which can involve both prescription and illicit opioids. The opioid epidemic has also contributed to increased rates of non-fatal opioid overdoses, an increase in emergency department visits attributed to drug misuse, widespread outbreaks of infectious diseases linked to intravenous drug use, and heavy economic costs from death, lost productivity, and healthcare spending.
NACCHO recognizes prescription and illicit opioid misuse as a significant public health threat and national emergency, as well as the critical role that local health departments play in responding to the nation’s opioid epidemic. NACCHO supports local health departments in their efforts to respond to the opioid epidemic through the implementation of evidence-based policies and programs for the prevention and treatment of opioid use disorder and its related health consequences. Local strategies encompass improvements in surveillance and monitoring, increases in prevention and education, promotion of appropriate opioid prescribing practices, and improvement and expansion of treatment and recovery services for opioid misuse and opioid use disorder.
The following resources have been developed by NACCHO and its many partners to assist local health departments as they develop a local response to the opioid epidemic in their communities.
Please find our resources on the opioid epidemic below.
The following resources provide information on opioid overdose prevention and treatment for opioid use disorders. For examples of local health department responses, visit the Big Cities Health Coalition page on Opioids Misuse and Abuse.
Please find our resources on prescription opioid misuse below.
NACCHO has several policy statements related to the Opioid Epidemic and its infectious disease consequences.
NACCHO also provides letters to Congress and the administration to influence policy in order to best support local health departments' response to the opioid epidemic.
Legislative Actions
In March 2018, Michael E. Kilkenny, MD, MS Physician Director, Cabell-Huntington (WV) Health Department testified before the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee in a hearing "Combating the Opioid Crisis: Prevention and Public Health Solutions." Watch the full video to see Dr. Kilkenny describe how his health department has successfully led community efforts to combat the dual epidemics of opioid misuse and infectious diseases associated with opioid addiction, or read NACCHO's recap of the hearing on Twitter.
On November 13, 2017, NACCHO hosted a Congressional briefing "Tackling the Opioid Epidemic and its Hidden Casualties: Local Health Departments on the Frontlines" with cosponsors National Association of Counties and U.S. Conference of Mayors, with panelists that represented a range of local stakeholders in the fight against opioid use and abuse.
Please contact opioidepidemic@naccho.org for questions about opioids or the local response to the opioid epidemic.