The main purpose of this Capstone project was to develop and promote a policy, which became the 911 Good Samaritan and Naloxone Access bill, to reduce unintentional drug overdose deaths in North Carolina (NC). The team's partner organization, North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition (NCHRC), solicited the Capstone team's help in raising awareness about NC's overdose problem, developing a policy solution, and advocating for state-level policy change. The Capstone project increased NCHRC's capacity to advocate for the 911 Good Samaritan and Naloxone Access bill, strengthened NCHRC's relationship with the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) and community stakeholders, raised awareness of the problem of drug overdose, and resulted in the passage of the policy into law. In 2010, unintentional poisoning, which typically involves drugs, became the second leading cause of injury death for all ages in the United States. Between 1997 and 2001, drug overdose deaths more than doubled in NC. Opioid pain relievers (OPR) accounted for 88% of the increase in drug-related deaths. Many overdose prevention efforts have focused on the supply side, with policies dictating prescribing practice or drug abuse screening and prevention. Although these efforts can prevent an overdose from happening, overdoses will still occur even with the best prevention efforts. Achieving a broader reduction in fatal overdose requires a more targeted policy-level intervention. For this Capstone project, the team produced five deliverables. Deliverable 1 was a literature review of the impact of drug overdose in NC and a fact sheet for distribution to stakeholders. Deliverable 2 consisted of policy recommendations, based on the literature review, intended to guide legislative sponsors in drafting a bill. Deliverable 3 was a presentation to the John Locke Foundation (JLF), a policy think tank, to educate their members and elicit support for the policy. Deliverable 4 was a drug overdose prevention summit in Raleigh to raise awareness and support among various stakeholders, including legislators, for the 911 Good Samaritan and Naloxone Access bill. Lastly, Deliverable 5 included the development of educational materials to raise awareness about the new law.Master of Public Healt
