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February 2, 2024

Preparedness for Overdose Response Among Law Enforcement

In 2020, RTI International fielded the Law Enforcement Overdose Response Survey to a nationally representative sample of law enforcement agencies, including municipal police departments, county sheriffs’ offices, and state police. Agencies participating in the survey differed in rurality and size, thereby providing a comprehensive view of how diverse law enforcement agencies across the country have equipped their officers to respond to illicit drug use in their communities. The survey included questions regarding the use of naloxone, training, overdose incidents in the community, and other programs for overdose response. Based on the results of the survey, 80 percent of respondents equipped officers with naloxone. This fact sheet provides details about how agencies obtain their naloxone, training content surrounding overdose response for officers, and respondents’ beliefs on whether administering naloxone and other programs aimed at reducing opioid use in the community is a responsibility of law enforcement agencies.

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