The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) has launched a new legal mapping resource capturing policies that may prevent overdose. The maps visualize the national policy landscape of overdose prevention centers and laws supporting community distribution of naloxone and fentanyl test strips. Each map provides links to the state law or legislation referenced, a tool for public health leaders and policymakers to find laws in other jurisdictions that may help prevent overdose.
These maps, created using MonQcle, legal mapping software by the Center for Public Health Law Research at Temple University Beasley School of Law, of ASTHO’s support of state and territorial overdose prevention efforts. They include one cross-sectional map; visualizing state laws supporting harm reduction efforts at a specific point in time, and one longitudinal map; visualizing which jurisdictions considered legislation to create overdose prevention centers across a period. Each map is accompanied by the research protocol ASTHO staff followed to identify the laws and legislation included in the resource.
“Our researchers are proud to have supported this important project focused on understanding and tracking the complex and changing nature of the drug overdose epidemic,” said Elizabeth Platt, JD, director of research and operations at CPHLR.