Buprenorphine
A medication use in MAT (medication-assisted treament) for opioid dependence.
Decriminalization
Reducing or eliminating criminal penalties for drug possession in favor of approaches that are treatment-centered.
Detoxification (Detox)
The process of clearing substances from the body. Detox is often the first step in treatment.
Drug Diversion
The distribution of prescription medications for non-medical use.
Fentanyl
A synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and is often mixed with other substances. Fentanyl has a high risk for addiction and dependence and significantly increases the risk of overdose.
Fentanyl Test Strips
Small strips of paper that are used to detect the presence of fentanyl in various substances. Awareness of the presence of fentanyl can allow people to take strategies to reduce the risk of overdose.
Good Samaritan Laws
Laws protecting individuals who seek medical help for someone experiencing an overdose.
Harm Reduction
Strategies and approaches that are aimed at minimizing the negative effects of substance use. Harm reduction acknowledges that substance use does and will continue to occur and calls for non-judgmental and people-center approaches that minimize the harmful effects of use.
MAT (Medication-Assisted Treatment)
The use of FDA-approved medications, counseling, and therapies to treat opioid addiction.
Methadone
A long-acting opioid that is often used in MAT to reduce symptoms related to withdrawal and cravings.
Naloxone (Narcan)
A medication that is used to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses.
Opioid Abatement
Efforts to reduce harm caused by the opioid crisis through treatment, prevention, recovery support, and enforcement of policies.
Opioid Epidemic
The widespread misuse of and addiction to prescription and non-prescription opioids.
Opioid Settlement Funds
Funds that were awares to states and municipalities from lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors that are intended for opioid abatement efforts.
PDMP (Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
Databases run by states that track the prescription of controlled substances.
Peer Support Programs
Recovery support services that are provided by individuals with lived experience of substance use.
Recovery Services
Processes for improving health and wellness while working towards sobriety or stability in substance use.
Social Determinants of Health
Conditions in which people live that affect a wide range of experiences and outcomes, including factors related to economic stability, education, health care access/quality, neighborhoods and the built environmental, and social and community dynamics.
Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
A medical condition and diagnosis characterized by an inability t o control use of a substance despite negative consequences.
Syringe Access Programs
A form of harm reduction, syringe access are programs that provide a range of services, including access to sterile syringes and injection supplies and disposal of used needles, to help minimize the spread of disease and reduce the negative consequences of drug use on individuals. Syringe access programs typically also facilitate access to wrap-around services, including provision of or referral to counseling, testing services, treatment programs, vaccinations, and other types of care.
Stigma
Negative beliefs and attitudes that impact how individuals are viewed and treated that can significantly impact an individual’s care-seeking behaviors. Stigma impacts not only individuals navigating mental health and substance use, but also those around them.
Treatment & Recovery
A variety of programs and services, including counseling, peer support, and MAT, that support individuals navigating and recovering from substance use disorders.
Withdrawal
A range of symptoms that an individual may experience when reducing or stopping use of a substance such as opioids, that may include pain, nausea, and anxiety.
Xylazine
A sedatative typically used by veterinarians that is being increasingly found in illicit drug supplies. Xylazine is sometimes referred to as “tranq.” Opioid overdose reversal medications such as Naloxone do not reverse the effects of Xylazine.