White House launches new opioid overdose database

The Biden administration this week unveiled a new website that will track non-fatal opioid overdoses (Source: “The White House unveils a new system to track and better prevent opioid overdoses,” NPR, Dec. 8).

The new website will be updated every two weeks with reports collected at the county level by EMS first responders in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Officials say the information will help shape the medical response when overdose clusters occur in different parts of the country.

Data on the new website will be managed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which collects EMS data. 

Officials acknowledge this data collection and reporting system will provide a limited snapshot of drug overdoses.

It focuses entirely on opioids — the leading cause of drug deaths — while excluding cocaine, methamphetamines and other substances. The website also won't include information from hospitals, schools, businesses, non-profits and academic programs that collect non-fatal overdose information.