Overdose Detection Technologies: A New Frontier in Preventing Solitary Drug Overdose Deaths

Ju Park, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Brown University’s School of Public Health, is on a mission to develop interventions to promote the health and well-being of people who use drugs. She established the Harm Reduction Innovation Lab at Rhode Island Hospital after realizing the need to help those who use drugs alone and in secret. Park and her team are exploring overdose detection technologies that actively or passively monitor and alert responders of a potential overdose event, with hopes of preventing solitary drug overdose deaths. The under-addressed issue of solitary drug use presents a major problem, as naloxone can only be administered by a bystander who is trained, equipped and willing to respond to an overdose within minutes. Park’s research is aimed at finding effective solutions to address the opioid crisis locally, as well as nationally.