Local survey highlights how syringe service sites provide low-barrier entry point to connect people to services

April 16, 2026.Reading time 9 minutes.

A photo of a wall with posters promoting treatment options.

Every two years, we conduct a survey of syringe service program clients as part of a statewide survey in partnership with University of Washington’s Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI). The aim is to understand the needs of our clients and provide data to inform effective services to improve the health of people who use drugs.

“This program is saving lives”: How community partnerships expand naloxone access

September 25, 2025.Reading time 9 minutes.

Through strong community partnerships and innovative approaches, Public Health’s distribution of naloxone to community-based organizations in 2025 is on pace to double that distributed in 2024.

Recognizing Overdose Awareness Day in our community

August 26, 2024.Reading time 9 minutes.

A purple graphic. Text reads #EndOverdose with logos for International Overdose Awareness Day and Pennington Institute

Overdose Awareness Day is a time when we can all take part in continuing the collective work to reduce overdoses. Here are ways to recognize the day and make a difference in our community.

Local survey highlights substantial changes in drug use over the past few years

April 25, 2024.Reading time 9 minutes.

Every two years, University of Washington’s Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI), in partnership with Public Health, conducts a statewide survey of people who utilize syringe service programs. We sat down with Sara Glick, PhD, Epidemiologist for Public Health – Seattle & King County, Associate Professor at University of Washington, and the lead researcher and author of the local report, to learn about the report findings.

What is buprenorphine? A Q&A about King County’s new bup hotline

March 25, 2024.Reading time 6 minutes.

An illustration of a phone with a provider inside, holding out a prescription.

Thanks to a new 24/7 ‘bup’ prescribing hotline, it’s easier than ever for people in King County to get started on medication to treat opioid use disorder. In partnership with the UW Department of Emergency Medicine, King County recently launched a telemedicine program that will provide on-demand access to a buprenorphine prescription, also known as “bup”.

Should Narcan be in the family medicine cabinet?

January 19, 2024.Reading time 7 minutes.

Brad Finegood, our Strategic Advisor for Behavioral Health, sat down with Seattle’s Child Magazine to answer parents’ questions about Narcan, the medication that rapidly reduces opioid overdose. His interview is excerpted with permission.