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Phoenix data show rising layperson naloxone use; city plans targeted expansion
Summary
City health officials reported that Phoenix distributed 14,616 naloxone kits in year two of its program, a 38% increase from year one, and said layperson administration prior to EMS arrival rose to 13%. Staff recommended focusing year three on distribution equity and a geographic needs assessment.
Phoenix public health officials told the Community Services & Education Subcommittee on Oct. 22 that the city’s naloxone distribution program expanded sharply in its second year and shows promising signs that community members are using the medication before emergency crews arrive.
“Since August 2024 we distributed 14,616 naloxone overdose reversal kits,” Melanie Darden, an Office of Public Health presenter, said, noting the number represents a 38% increase from the program’s first year. Darden said 50 distribution sites across 15 city departments now provide kits to residents and staff.
The presentation included a change in a key indicator: cases where naloxone was administered prior to Phoenix Fire/EMS arrival rose from about 7% before the program to 13% in the program’s second year. “This means that on average, naloxone is administered prior to EMS arrival in over one out of every 10 suspected opioid overdose calls in Phoenix,” city staff said.
City staff cautioned the data cannot directly link distributed city kits to every instance of bystander administration. “It is important to note that we do not know whether the naloxone used in these cases was acquired through the city of Phoenix naloxone program,” a presenter said, while citing research that increased availability generally raises bystander use and reduces fatalities.
Officials provided a financial snapshot: the program’s second-year costs were estimated at just over $700,000, of which about $660,000 came from in‑kind donations—primarily naloxone supplied through a partnership with the Arizona Department of Health Services—and volunteer labor. Actual cash expenditures were about $47,000, which staff calculated as less than $2 per kit distributed.
Looking ahead, staff recommended year-three priorities to address gaps and inequities the evaluation identified: conduct a geographic needs assessment to match distribution to overdose burden, add non‑city distribution hubs, expand department‑specific training and public awareness, and strengthen volunteer and community partnerships such as Volunteer Phoenix.
Committee members asked whether libraries and recreation centers could serve as additional distribution points and whether distribution could better match neighborhoods with higher overdose rates. City staff said libraries have been a major distribution site and that they plan to increase distribution points in council districts where kits are low compared with overdose counts.
Dr. Michelle Sciota, an ASU researcher involved in program evaluation partnerships, commended the program and urged complementary investments in prevention, treatment and mobile outreach to reach underserved populations and sustain long‑term outcomes.
The subcommittee did not take a formal action on the presentation; staff said they would return with implementation details and further data as the program enters its third year.
