News from the Initiative

Advancing Strategies for Families Impacted by Substance Use Disorder

Get to Know Jeff Hom

Based on preliminary data, the city of San Francisco lost 806 individuals to drug overdoses in 2023, largely driven by the proliferation of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin. Bloomberg Fellow Jeffrey Hom is working to save lives from opioid overdoses in San Francisco as director of the Population Behavioral Health section for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. 

Get to Know Ciana Creighton

Ciana Creighton currently serves as the Chief of Staff to the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services in the District of Columbia Government.

Evidence-based Policies to Address the Overdose Crisis

Public health issues, especially those related to drug use and addiction, require thoughtful research and evidence-based policies to effectively be addressed. With support from the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, Dr.

A Conversation with Sam Rivera

Sam Rivera, the executive director of OnPoint NYC, manages two overdose prevention centers--the first to open in the country in 2021--where skilled and trained professionals monitor drug consumption on-site to make sure users have access to safe syringes, drug testing, and counseling.

State Legislation on Prenatal Drug Screening Participation

In 2018, Drs. Beth McGinty, Sachini Bandara, Alex McCourt, and former postdoctoral fellow Esita Patel studied the impact of state laws regarding drug use during pregnancy on participation in prenatal drug screenings.      

The Impact of Dispensing Naloxone at Public Health Vending Machines in Clark County, Nevada

In 2017, Trac-B Exchange (a syringe services program in Clark County, Nevada), along with local constituents, launched the first-in-the-nation public health vending machine program in response to rising rates of infectious diseases among people who inject drugs. In 2020, Dr.

The Impact of Dispensing Naloxone at Public Health Vending Machines in Clark County, Nevada

In 2017, Trac-B Exchange (a syringe services program in Clark County, Nevada), along with local constituents, launched the first-in-the-nation public health vending machine program in response to rising rates of infectious diseases among people who inject drugs. In 2020, Dr.

Looking for Antibodies to COVID-19 Among the Deceased

In 2020, Associate Professor Keri Althoff set out to measure antibodies to the COVID-19 virus among the deceased examined by the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner over 6 months before vaccines were available. She also wanted to determine if the increased antibody prevalence associated with motor vehicle crashes and decreased prevalence associated with illicit drug overdose persisted through November 2020. 

Filling Gaps in Overdose Reversal Trainings for People Who Use Drugs

In 2020, Assistant Scientist Kristin Schneider and Associate Professor Karin Tobin set out to determine whether overdose reversal programs adequately address the unique barriers people who use drugs face after reversing an overdose. Specifically, they explored: