(Plain Press April 2024) As part of a State Opioid Response grant to increase harm reduction efforts in Cuyahoga County and reduce overdose fatalities, the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County partnered with Brave Technology Co-Op to create a localized overdose prevention app.

     The Cuyahoga County Overdose Prevention App (COPN) is designed to help prevent overdose by allowing individuals to create a personal rescue plan and connect with a person who can respond or dispatch help if an overdose is detected. The COPN app operates on a simple yet powerful principle: to provide a lifeline for individuals using drugs alone. Users can discreetly connect with a network of support, initiating a call or alert through the app before using substances. The app allows users to create a rescue plan, including their location, which remains confidential unless emergency intervention is required. If a user becomes unresponsive, the app facilitates a connection to community and emergency responders, ensuring that potentially fatal overdoses can be quickly reversed, and more lives can be saved.

     “The ADAMHS Board does not condone illicit drug use, but we want people using substances to have a chance to get treatment and live in recovery, that is why we continue to increase harm reduction efforts. The COPN app is another tool in the toolbox to help reduce overdose,” said Scott Osiecki, CEO of the ADAMHS Board. “By encouraging people to utilize this overdose prevention app, we are increasing access to care right where the person is, when they need support.”

The Critical Role of Overdose Detection and Timely Response

     According to a report* from the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office, approximately 75% of individuals who suffer a fatal overdose are using alone, without someone nearby to administer naloxone or call for emergency medical care.

     “In the wake of a relentless overdose crisis, exacerbated by the emergence of potent substances like fentanyl analogues and benzodiazepines, the need for rapid overdose detection and response has never been more urgent, said Oona Krieg, Chief Operating Officer at Brave Technology Co-Op. “Overdose fatalities are largely preventable with timely intervention, making the seconds after an overdose critical. The COPN app is designed to address this by ensuring quick, effective, and compassionate support is accessible to those in high-risk situations, bridging the crucial gap between the occurrence of an overdose and the arrival of lifesaving assistance.”

     The COPN app is just one of many other harm reduction efforts in Cuyahoga County supported by the ADAMHS Board, such as overdose sensors and buttons, harm reduction supply vending machines, public access naloxone cabinets, and community-wide distribution of naloxone and fentanyl test strips. These efforts combined with the care and support of agencies that provide harm reduction services and treatment are designed to meet people where they are without judgement.

     Download the COPN app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

     Anyone looking to connect with treatment or support can dial 988, 24-hours per day.

     Learn more about ADAMHS Board led Harm Reduction efforts at www.adamhscc.org/harmreduction.