Overdose Prevention
Every year, tens of thousands of lives are lost to overdose in the United States. Vital Strategies partners with governments and communities to advance health-based, evidence-driven responses that reach people where they are.
In 6 out of Vital’s 7 focus states, overdose deaths declined at least 30% from 2024 to 2025, steeper than the national average.
People who saw Vital Strategies’ “You Have the Power to Save Lives” campaign were 5x more likely to carry naloxone—proof that targeted communication can help save lives.
Since 2019, more than 2.7 million doses of naloxone have reached people through Vital’s work in focus states.
More than 225 jails and prisons in Vital’s focus states now provide access to medications for opioid use disorder.
Why It Matters
In 2025, more than 70,000 lives were lost to overdose in the United States. This number highlights an ongoing crisis, despite a steep decline in overdose deaths since 2023. Criminalization and the lack of equitable access to science-based care and treatment hinder continued progress in saving lives and drive disproportionately higher overdose deaths among Black and Native communities. A health-based response that supports rather than criminalizes people who use drugs is not optional — it is essential and overdue.
How We Work
Vital Strategies delivers support through expert technical assistance, embedded staff in government agencies, direct grant-making to our partners and strategic communications.
Every overdose death is preventable.
Vital Strategies supports governments to implement and scale health-based, evidence-driven policy and program models that center people most affected by overdose. Vital Strategies delivers support through technical assistance from a team of experts, embedded staff for project implementation in government agencies, grant-making for direct services and technical assistance and strategic communications, including media campaigns.
Our approach to overdose prevention is multidisciplinary, inclusive and highly responsive to local conditions and priorities. Multiple systems and sectors, including healthcare, criminal justice, social services and child welfare, impact overdose risk and drug use. Progress requires leadership and investment from all levels of government, as well as from providers, institutions, advocates and communities, including people who use drugs, their families and their friends.
Areas of Focus
Vital Strategies advances three interconnected approaches to overdose prevention: engaging communities, expanding access to lifesaving medications and shifting systems toward health-based, nonpunitive responses.
Opioid Solutions Leadership Network
National Association of Counties’ (NACO) Opioid Solutions Leadership Network is a learning community for county leaders and key staff of state associations of counties who are committed to investing opioid settlement funds to save lives and address the needs of people affected by substance misuse.
Drug Checking Implementation Workbook
Vital Strategies collaborated with Remedy Alliance to develop this free online resource that offers step-by-step guidance to harm reduction advocates, administrators, program directors and anyone seeking to start a community-based drug checking service. The toolkit offers useful steps to establishing and operating programs for point-of-care and community-based drug checking services using an infrared spectrometer.
News & Resources
