Drug overdoses are preventable. Local and state leaders can take decisive, evidence‑based action to save lives and strengthen community health.
We’re on our way to the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference (CCC) from March 16-18 in Washington DC. With support from CDC’s Division of Overdose Prevention, we’ll be joining Big Cities Health Coalition and Prevention Institute to present on local innovations in the use of opioid settlement funds as well as overdose prevention strategies.
If you can’t attend the CCC event but want to learn about public health approaches your community can advance to support people who use drugs and prevent overdose deaths, our free resources provide evidence‑based policy strategies.
Event
Opioid Settlement Funds Workshop at the CCC
March 16, 10:30am ET, Marriott Marquis at Congressional City Conference
Opioid settlement funds present a historic opportunity for local governments to strengthen prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts. Participants will hear insights from city, state municipal league, and national leaders specializing in the use of opioid settlement funds, alongside action-oriented presentations on prevention strategies, implementation tools, and sustainable funding approaches.
Resources
Supporting Decision Makers in Using Opioid Settlement Funds from ChangeLab Solutions and Prevention Institute outlines key strategies that local decision makers can explore to guide planning and implementation of their settlement activities. These funds provide a critical opportunity for policymakers to invest in public health interventions that save lives and mitigate growing racial inequities in overdose deaths. In addition, Prevention Institute offers a companion resource on Guiding Principles for Investment and Primary Prevention.
Preventing Overdose and Reducing Drug-Related Harm: A Policy Guide for State and Local Change is designed to support state and local decision makers, government agencies, public health practitioners, and community members. It presents 11 policy strategies that were selected for their potential to save lives, advance health equity, and be feasibly implemented at state, local, and institutional levels — including schools and health care systems.
Implementing State and Local Overdose Prevention Policies: A Resource for Navigating the Policy Process, created in partnership with the Network for Public Health Law, offers guidance on the policymaking process to help ensure that overdose prevention policies are equitably developed and implemented. Community changemakers can use this guide to translate intention into enacted policy that responds effectively to community needs.
3/11/2026