How do syringe programs teach people to stop overdoses?

Across the country, syringe service programs do more than provide clean needles. They're also on the front lines of the overdose crisis, trying to save lives by teaching people about the dangers and giving them naloxone, a drug that can reverse an opioid overdose. A new report takes a look at these overdose education and naloxone distribution programs within syringe services in the United States. It describes what these programs are doing, but it's important to know this is just a description. The report doesn't tell us if these efforts are actually working—it doesn't measure how many people are trained, how much naloxone is used, or whether fewer people are dying. It's a picture of the current landscape, not a report card on its success. For anyone hoping to understand or improve these critical services, this report offers a starting point by showing what's already happening, but it leaves the biggest questions about effectiveness unanswered.