Naloxone Distribution & Overdose Response Training
What is Naloxone?
Naloxone is a life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdoses by restoring breathing. It is safe, easy to use and works within minutes. Naloxone has no effect if opioids are not present.
Expanding Public Access to Naloxone
Fargo Cass Public Health, with support from the State Opioid Response (SOR) grant from the ND Department of Health & Human Services Behavioral Health Division, works to ensure free naloxone is widely accessible across Cass County through low-barrier, community-based distribution.
Public Access Points
Naloxone is available through:
- The Harm Reduction Center (syringe services program site)
- The Resource & Recovery Center
- Fargo Cass Public Health
- Community outreach programs
- Partnerships with local organizations and service providers
- Trainings and events
These access points are designed to reduce barriers such as cost, stigma, and transportation, ensuring naloxone is available to anyone who may need it.
Naloxone Saturation: Getting It Where It’s Needed Most
Fargo Cass Public Health focuses its efforts on naloxone saturation. This means having enough naloxone distributed throughout the community, so it is present during an overdose event. Naloxone saturation increases the likelihood that someone nearby has naloxone during an overdose, saving more lives.
Reaching People at Highest Risk
Fargo Cass Public Health also focuses efforts on reaching individuals most likely to experience or witness an overdose, including:
- People who use opioids
- Individuals with a history of overdose
- People recently released from incarceration or treatment
- Persons experiencing homelessness
- Friends, family members, and community members
Through a nonjudgmental, harm reduction approach, services are designed to meet people where they are and build trust over time.
Opioid Overdose Response Training
Why Training Matters
Naloxone is most effective when people know how to use it. Fargo Cass Public Health provides free overdose response trainings to equip community members with the skills and confidence to act in an emergency.
Training Objectives
Participants in overdose response training will learn to:
- Recognize an opioid overdose
- Identify signs such as slow or no breathing, unconsciousness and discoloration
- Understand overdose risk factors
- Fentanyl presence
- Reduced tolerance
- Mixing substances
- Respond quickly and effectively
- Call 911
- Administer naloxone
- Provide rescue breathing
- Increase confidence and reduce stigma
- Build skills to intervene without fear
- Promote carrying naloxone and helping others
Community Impact
Following Best Practice by combining wide distribution, high saturation and targeted outreach, Fargo Cass Public Health is helping reduce overdose deaths and strengthen community response capacity.
Naloxone distribution and training empower everyday people to save lives, making overdose prevention a shared community responsibility.