A comprehensive prevention strategy, harm reduction is part of the continuum of care. Harm reduction approaches have proven to prevent death, injury, disease, overdose, and substance misuse. Harm reduction is effective in addressing the public health epidemic involving substance use as well as infectious disease and other harms associated with drug use. 

Project DAWN - Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided With Naloxone) is a network of opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution programs (OENDP) coordinated by the Ohio Department of Health. Visit the What is Naloxone page for more information on the overdose reversal medication.

Project DAWN is named in memory of Leslie Dawn Cooper, who struggled with substance use disorder for many years before dying from a witnessed opioid overdose on Oct. 3, 2009. The first Project DAWN site was established in Leslie’s hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio, in 2012. Since then, Project DAWN has expanded to a collective of more than 370 naloxone distribution sites that cover around 75 of Ohio’s 88 counties.

Naloxone/Narcan - Naloxone/Narcan is administered in response to a drug overdose. Bystanders are protected under Ohio's Good Samaritan Law if s/he responds to the overdose and administers the medication. Click here for an information sheet about how to recognize an overdose and what to do in response. The sheet also provides a quick reference list of local resources. Also available is a quick visual reference page on how to administer. Please note, in Ohio many pharmacies provide Naloxone/Narcan without a prescription. For a searchable list, click here. For a list of locations to get Naloxone/Narcan for FREE, click here. 

Ohio Resources - Ohio has its own Harm Reduction page dedicated to giving healthcare professionals information to share with patients and families as well as growing the provider's knowledge about harm reduction. This is a resource page to turn to for more provider focused information.

Adena Harm Reduction Resources

Adena is committed to providing support and resources to those experiencing addiction. Below is information that can be shared with patient and/or family regarding information and local resource options. 

Some of the information available in the Adena Harm Reduction packets includes:

• AA and NA Meetings -  click here for a list AA and NA meetings in our area.
• Hepatitis Testing and Resources - Hepatitis C (HCV) is a virus that affects the liver. It’s the most common blood-borne virus in the U.S. and affects roughly 2.5 million people according to the CDC. Shared syringes are one of the most common ways to spread this illness, putting people who use drugs at increased risk of contracting it. The National Harm Reduction Coalition has some hepatitis resources available for free as well for education and sharing.
• Never Use Alone - Toll-free national overdose prevention, detection, life-saving crisis response and medical intervention services for people who use drugs while alone. Never Use Alone’s peer operators are available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Call Never Use Alone  at 800-484-3731. For more information, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page. Click here for printable resources. 
• Syringe Support Programs - The closest syringe support program in our region is in Jackson County. Click here for this information. For other locations, click here. 
• Miscellaneous Resources - Below are some general resource options:
  • 211 - provides general resource information (not available in all counties).  Accessible by calling 211 or visiting:  https://www.211.org/
  • 988 - Calling this number allows you to reach the mental health crisis line. Also available by text or chat.