An analysis of substance use disorder (SUD) services advertised by county governments in New York state has been conducted. The study aimed to evaluate the prevention and response activities related to SUD that are promoted on county websites.
The research was a cross-sectional study, focusing on the online presence of public health, mental health, emergency, and social service departments across various counties. The goal was to determine whether these government agencies provided information about ten evidence-based SUD services.
Findings revealed that Resource Lists were the most commonly advertised service on county websites, with 91.4% of counties promoting them. Naloxone Training, Education, or Distribution followed at 74.1%, while Addiction/Overdose Education was noted in 62.1% of cases. Conversely, Syringe Exchange programs and Anti-Stigma Training or Resources were less frequently advertised, appearing in only 31.0% and 13.8% of counties respectively.
The study also highlighted a disparity based on county size; medium and large counties were more likely to advertise each service compared to smaller ones.
In conclusion, although public health experts recommend including these SUD services as part of government responses to the overdose crisis, many counties do not inform their residents about several critical services through their websites. This gap suggests that even if such services exist locally, they might remain unknown to those who could benefit from them.
