Norwegian National Strategy to Reduce Overdose

"The Government will task the Directorate of Health with drawing up a separate national strategy for reducing overdoses in collaboration with relevant agencies, such as user and next-of-kin organisations and the municipalities. The goal is an annual reduction of the number of overdose fatalities. The purpose is to stimulate the development of more local strategies for municipalities that have registered overdose fatalities. The local strategies should have concrete targets and measures in the following areas:
"• Responsibility for further development and coordination of the health services and a clear assignment of responsibility when there is a risk of overdose fatalities
"• Further competence-raising among particularly involved personnel, such as ambulance personnel and accident and emergency services staff
"• Prevention of overdoses following discharge from institutions
"• Necessary information to and involvement of next-of-kin
"• Influencing the user culture (reducing the extent of injection) and further developing
life-saving measures.
"The results will be summarised and evaluated after five years. The Directorate of Health will prepare indicators for measuring the development of the overdose situation and assess the need for professional guidelines."