Rising to the Challenge Together: How ONDCP and CDC Support Jurisdictions Through the Overdose Response Strategy

Drug overdose remains a critical public health issue in the United States, with nearly 210 deaths daily, though recent years have seen a slowing decline and emerging new threats such as ultra-potent opioids and adulterants. The Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) is a national initiative that unites public health and public safety sectors to address these evolving challenges through coordinated prevention and response efforts. ORS operates through 61 two-person teams—Drug Intelligence Officers and Public Health Analysts—embedded across all states and select territories, leveraging both law enforcement intelligence and public health data. The program's flexible model allows local adaptation, guided by four strategies: sharing data, fostering collaboration, promoting education, and supporting implementation of effective interventions. ORS has contributed to closing data and service gaps, expanding real-time overdose tracking, distributing naloxone, and supporting rapid response and education initiatives. By enhancing cross-sector collaboration, ORS strengthens the nation’s ability to identify threats, mobilize resources, and reduce preventable overdose deaths.

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