Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Resources
Support for those actively struggling with active substance use disorder. Find immediate help, harm reduction tools, and pathways to recovery tailored to your needs. No judgment, just hope.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR OHIO SPECIFIC RESOURCES PLEASE CLICK HERE
Harm Reduction Resources
Small changes can save lives. These tools and resources help reduce the risks associated with substance use. This includes things like needle exchange programs, free Narcan, and fentanyl test strips.
Click the “+” sign to explore harm reduction tools and services, including local and national programs designed to prioritize safety and health.
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These programs provide clean needles to reduce the spread of infections like HIV and Hepatitis C.
North America Directory: https://nasen.org/
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Needle Exchange in Columbus, OH:
Safe Point: Provides syringe exchange services, safer injection education, HIV/STI/Hepatitis C testing, and linkage to care.
Address: 1267 W. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43222
Hours:
Tuesday & Wednesday: 4–8 PM (Line cut at 7:30 PM)
Saturday: 9 AM–1 PM (Line cut at 12:30 PM)
Phone: (614) 460-1406
Website: Safe Point (safepointohio.org)
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Online:
— Next Distro
Provides free Narcan (naloxone) and fentanyl test strips by mail, plus educational resources for harm reduction.
Website: https://nextdistro.org/
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Columbus, OH:
— Vending Machines: Columbus Public Health has installed vending machines offering free fentanyl test strips, naloxone, condoms, and pregnancy tests.
Equitas Health – 750 E. Long St.
Huckleberry House – 1720 Kenmore Rd.
Community Medical Services – 1380 Dublin Rd.
SAFER Station – 368 W. Park Ave.
Central Outreach Wellness Center – 2680 W. Broad St.
Franklin County Municipal Court – 375 S. High St., 6th Floor
— Columbus Public Health
Address: 240 Parsons Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215
Availability: Monday – Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Services: Provides free naloxone kits and training on overdose response.
Contact: (614) 645-6839
— Equitas Health Medical Center and Pharmacy
Address: 1033 N. High Street, Columbus, OH 43201
Services: Offers free naloxone kits; contact for availability.
Contact: (614) 340-6777
Website: Equitas Health
— Southeast Healthcare
Address: 16 W. Long Street, Columbus, OH 43215
Availability: First-come, first-served walk-in groups every first and third Friday of the month at 1:00 p.m.
Services: Provides naloxone training and free kits; open to the public.
Contact: (614) 225-0990
Website:Southeast Healthcare
Address: 16 W. Long Street, Columbus, OH 43215
Availability: First-come, first-served walk-in groups every first and third Friday of the month at 1:00 p.m.
Services: Provides naloxone training and free kits; open to the public.
Contact: (614) 225-0990
Website:Southeast Healthcare
— Jordan’s Crossing: Vending machine distributes free Narcan and other resources
Address: 342 N. Hague Ave.
Columbus, OH 43204Phone: (614) 507-3246
Hours of Operation: Open daily from 9am – 4pm
— Mail-Order Naloxone
Service: Residents of Franklin County can receive a free naloxone kit by mail.
Process: Complete the online form to request a kit.
Website:Get Naloxone - Ohio
— Free Naloxone at Ohio State Pharmacies —
Several Ohio State pharmacies in the Columbus area offer free naloxone to the public. See details for each location below:
— Pharmacy at Doan Hall
Address: 410 W. 10th Ave., Room 111, Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: 614-293-9795
Hours:
Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
Closed: Saturday, Sunday, and Ohio State University holidays
— Pharmacy at East Hospital
Address: 181 Taylor Ave., T0354, Columbus, OH 43203
Phone: 614-257-2628
Hours:
Monday–Friday: 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Closed: Saturday, Sunday, and Ohio State University holidays
— Pharmacy at The James
Address: 460 W. 10th Ave., L012, Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: 614-293-5920
Hours:
Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–9 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.
Holidays: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Open 365 days a year
— Student Health Services Pharmacy
Address: Wilce Student Health Center, 1875 Millikin Road, Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: 614-292-4321
— Pharmacy at Outpatient Care Dublin
Address: 6700 University Blvd., 1st Floor, Suite 1D, Dublin, OH 43016
Phone: 614-814-7001
Hours:
Monday–Friday: 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Closed: Saturday, Sunday, and Ohio State University holidays
— Pharmacy at Outpatient Care New Albany
Address: 6100 N. Hamilton Road, Room 1370, Westerville, OH 43081
Phone: 614-366-7551
Fax: 614-366-7130
Hours:
Monday–Friday: 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Closed: Saturday, Sunday, and Ohio State University holidays
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Online:
Columbus, OH:
— Vending Machines: Columbus Public Health has installed vending machines offering free fentanyl test strips, naloxone, condoms, and pregnancy tests.
Equitas Health – 750 E. Long St.
Huckleberry House – 1720 Kenmore Rd.
Community Medical Services – 1380 Dublin Rd.
SAFER Station – 368 W. Park Ave.
Central Outreach Wellness Center – 2680 W. Broad St.
Franklin County Municipal Court – 375 S. High St., 6th Floor
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Proper disposal of used needles is important for public health and safety. In Columbus, Ohio, several facilities provide syringe disposal boxes accessible 24/7 unless otherwise noted:
North American Online Directory: https://safeneedledisposal.org/
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Columbus, OH:
North Columbus:
Franklin County Job and Family Services (Northland Opportunity Center)
Address: 1721 Northland Ave, Columbus, OH 43229
Columbus Fire Station #18
Address: 1630 Cleveland Ave, Columbus, OH 43211
Linden Library Branch
Address: 2223 Cleveland Ave, Columbus, OH 43211 (on the Kohr Pl. side of the building)
Near East Side:
Franklin County Job and Family Services (Near East Opportunity Center)
Address: 1055 Mt. Vernon Ave, Columbus, OH 43203
Central Columbus:
Columbus Public Health
Address: 240 Parsons Ave, Columbus, OH 43215 (next to rear entrance of the building)
South Columbus:
John Maloney Center
Address: 1905 Parsons Ave, Columbus, OH 43207 (on the Barthman Ave side of the building)
Corpus Christi Church
Address: 1111 Stewart Ave, Columbus, OH 43206
Maryhaven
Address: 1791 Alum Creek Dr, Columbus, OH 43207
Maryhaven Stabilization Unit
Address: 1430 S. High St, Columbus, OH 43207
West Columbus:
Hilltop Library Branch
Address: 511 S. Hague Ave, Columbus, OH 43204 (on the Powell Avenue side of the library)
Columbus Fire Station #17
Address: 2250 W. Broad St, Columbus, OH 43204
Netcare Access
Address: 199 S. Central Ave, Columbus, OH 43223
Dodge Recreation Center
Address: 667 Sullivant Ave, Columbus, OH 43222
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No Shaming, No Judgment. No Preaching, Just Love!
Toll-free national overdose prevention, detection, life-saving crisis response and medical intervention services for people who use drugs while alone. Never Use Alone’s peer operators are available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No stigma. No judgment. Just love!♥️
THERE ARE WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF.
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HOW TO USE NALOXONE (NARCAN)
Narcan (naloxone) is a life-saving medication that quickly reverses opioid overdoses by restoring normal breathing. Easy to use and widely available, it empowers bystanders to act in emergencies, giving individuals a second chance at life and the opportunity to seek help.
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HOW TO USE FENTANYL TEST STRIPS
Fentanyl test strips are a simple, lifesaving tool that can detect the presence of fentanyl in drugs, helping to prevent accidental overdoses. Since fentanyl is often mixed into substances without the user's knowledge, testing can provide crucial information, empowering people to make safer choices and potentially save lives.
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NEVER USE ALONE HOTLINE
Never Use Alone is a safety hotline to protect individuals using substances alone. Operators are available by phone or chat seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The trained volunteers who answer the phones work confidentially to ensure the safety of people using drugs alone. They will call for medical assistance if needed.
Call: 1-877-696-1996
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THE BRAVE APP
The Brave Overdose Prevention App connects individuals who use drugs alone with trained volunteers who monitor their well-being in real time and can alert emergency services if the user becomes unresponsive, aiming to prevent fatal overdoses while prioritizing privacy and anonymity.
It is on available & free Google Play and the App Store
HARM REDUCTION RESOURCES
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Wound & Abscess Care for People Who Use Drugs
This guide is for people who inject drugs or have wounds. It goes over preventing infections, recognizing warning signs, and promoting harm reduction practices. It emphasizes the importance of cleaning wounds, using sterile supplies, and seeking medical attention when needed to reduce complications and improve overall health.
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Safer Smoking
"Safer Smoking 101" is a guide offering tips to reduce risks associated with smoking drugs, including using clean equipment, avoiding sharing supplies, staying hydrated, and selecting safe materials for smoking tools to prevent injuries and infections.
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The Safer Injection Handbook
This guide offers harm reduction advice for safer injecting practices, focusing on minimizing health risks such as infections, vein damage, and overdose. It emphasizes using sterile equipment, rotating injection sites, and recognizing signs of complications
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Safer Tablet (Pill) Injection
This guide offers harm reduction tips for safer tablet injection, focusing on reducing risks like infections, vein damage, and other complications. It covers proper preparation techniques, the importance of using sterile equipment, and safer practices to minimize harm and promote health for people who inject drugs.
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Signs of an Opioid Overdose
Learn the signs of an opioid overdose and when in doubt GIVE NALOXONE
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Rescue Breathing
Rescue breathing is a first aid technique used to provide oxygen to someone who is not breathing or struggling to breathe. It is a crucial step in responding to an opioid overdose to maintain oxygen flow until normal breathing resumes or emergency help arrives.
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Overamping: Stimulant Overdose
Overamping refers to a type of overdose caused by using too much of a stimulant drug, such as methamphetamine or cocaine. It can lead to symptoms like extreme agitation, rapid heartbeat, chest pain, overheating, paranoia, seizures, or even heart attack or stroke. Unlike opioid overdoses, overamping requires calming the person, keeping them hydrated, and seeking immediate medical help
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Safer Consumption for New Users
This resource provides harm reduction tips for new drug users, focusing on safer consumption practices to reduce the risk of overdose and other health complications. It emphasizes starting with small amounts, testing substances, avoiding using alone, and being prepared with naloxone in case of emergencies.
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Pregnancy and Substance Use: A Harm Reduction Toolkit
“Intended for use by pregnant and parenting people who use drugs, their loved ones, and their service providers. From National Harm Reduction Coalition”
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HIV & HEPATITIS C
A list of resources for the prevention, treatment, and education of others about these bloodborne agents.
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Gender Identity
A curated selection of resources tailored for non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals, with a focus on harm reduction and support services. NEXT Distro is an online and mail-based harm reduction platform dedicated to reducing drug overdose deaths and related health issues across the United States.
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XYLAZAINE
It’s not in the opioid category. It’s more of a heavy sedative, kind of like clonidine or ketamine. It kicks in quickly and hits hard, especially in the first hour if your body isn’t familiar with it.
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Supervised Consumption
As of January 2025, the United States has two officially sanctioned supervised injection sites, both located in New York City and operated by OnPoint NYC.
However, you can call NEVER USE ALONE at (1-877-696-1996) ANY TIME if you are not located in NYC.
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Temporary Shelter
This comprehensive directory lists homeless shelters and service organizations across the U.S., including those that provide support for individuals with substance use disorder.
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2-1-1 Helpline
Dialing 2-1-1 connects individuals to a free and confidential service that helps find local resources, including shelters and substance use support services. You can also visit their website below
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Legal and Advocacy Resources
Advocates for the rights of individuals with SUD, ensuring access to treatment and fighting discrimination.
MYTH VS FACTS
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Even trusted sources may not know if their supply contains fentanyl. Drugs can be contaminated anywhere in the supply chain, so it’s always safer to test before using.
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Fentanyl can cause an overdose no matter how it is taken—smoked, snorted, swallowed, or injected. Always test your drugs and use harm reduction practices.
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An opioid overdose can be fatal if untreated. Use naloxone immediately, call for help, and stay with the person until emergency responders arrive.
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Naloxone works on all opioids, including fentanyl and its analogues, regardless of their strength. If the first dose doesn’t work within 2-3 minutes, additional doses may be needed. Rescue breaths are also important while waiting for the person to start breathing on their own.
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Fentanyl is often invisible and odorless, making it impossible to detect by sight, smell, or taste. Testing with fentanyl strips is the only reliable way to check for its presence.
TO NOTE: While fentanyl test strips (FTS) are a valuable tool, they are not perfect. They may give false positives or false negatives due to manufacturing errors or improper use. For example, not diluting the substance correctly based on the type of drug being tested can affect results. FTS are a precaution, but they should not replace other harm reduction practices.
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Stimulants do not reverse the effects of opioid overdoses because they work on entirely different systems in the body.
Opioids suppress breathing, while stimulants increase heart rate and energy levels. Mixing the two substances does not cancel out their effects and can be very dangerous. In fact, using stimulants at high doses or in combination with other drugs can lead to a separate type of overdose called overamping, where the body becomes overwhelmed.
Overamping can cause severe symptoms like heart attack, stroke, seizures, or extreme agitation, requiring immediate medical attention.
Naloxone is the only medication that can effectively reverse opioid overdoses
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It is not possible to overdose simply by touching fentanyl. Fentanyl needs to enter your bloodstream, touch a mucous membrane, or be inhaled in significant amounts to cause harm. Accidental skin contact with fentanyl is not enough to absorb a dangerous dose. Stories of people overdosing from skin contact are often misreported and more likely due to panic attacks or other factors.
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Fentanyl is not limited to heroin; it has been found in cocaine, methamphetamine, counterfeit pills, and other street drugs. While testing your drugs is an important step, it may not be enough to ensure safety, and some drugs, like weed, typically don’t require fentanyl testing. Fentanyl contamination can happen in unexpected substances, so harm reduction practices are essential for all drug use.
Treatment Resources & Recovery Tools
If you're ready to take the first step toward recovery, there are services available.
Many of these are designed for individuals seeking immediate help, including but not limited to those experiencing homelessness or living on the streets. These resources provide compassionate care, no appointments needed, offering assessments, detox services, and connections to ongoing support and treatment programs.
Whether you need a safe place to begin your recovery journey, access to medication-assisted treatment, or help connecting with long-term resources, these facilities are here to help. Walk in anytime during operating hours to receive support without judgment or barriers.
Explore the available options to find the care you need today.
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Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
Support for individuals struggling with alcohol.
Website: www.aa.org
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Narcotics Anonymous (NA)
Peer-led recovery support for those struggling with narcotics
Website: www.na.org
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SMART Recovery
A non-religious alternative to 12-step programs, focusing on self-empowerment and self-reliance.
Website: www.smartrecovery.org
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Celebrate Recovery
A Christianity based 12-step program for substance abuse and mental health issues.
Website: www.celebraterecovery.com
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Sober App
A free recovery tool. Provides daily motivational messages and helps identify triggers, offering immediate support to prevent relapse.
Available on Google Play and the App Store.
Website: www.sober.com/sobertool
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I Am Sober App
Tracks your sobriety milestones, provides daily motivation, and connects you with a community for shared experiences
Website: www.Iamsober.com/
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Oxford House
A national network of democratically run, self-supporting recovery houses for individuals recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction. Oxford Houses provide supportive living environments and are present in many states across the U.S.
Website: https://www.oxfordhouse.org/
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Recovery Housing Program (RHP)
Administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), RHP provides funding to states and the District of Columbia to offer stable, transitional housing for individuals in recovery from SUD.
To get started, contact your local HUD office.
Learn More: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/rhp/
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Shatterproof
A nonprofit organization focused on ending addiction stigma, providing treatment resources, and supporting recovery.
Website: https://www.shatterproof.org/
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SAMHSA: Treatment Locator
A nationwide directory of treatment programs for drug and alcohol addiction.
Website: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help
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Community Health Centers
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) provide low-cost or free healthcare, including mental health services, for uninsured or underinsured individuals. This includes but is not limited to SUD treatment.
Website: https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/
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The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ Mental Health)
Crisis intervention and mental health support services for LGBTQ+ youth.
Website: The Trevor Project
Hotline: 1-866-488-7386 or text "START" to 678678.
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Crisis Text Line
Free, 24/7 text-based support for mental health crises.
Text: "HOME" to 741741.
Website: Crisis Text Line
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National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
Call or Text: 988.
Provides free, confidential support for anyone in distress, including those struggling with substance use or mental health crises.
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RecoverMe
“When you work on your recovery, you join a community of people who can support you through empathy, respect, and mutual empowerment.
Recovery is possible for everyone. No matter where you are on your journey, RecoverMe can help you find support that feels right for you.” - SAMHSA
Website: https://www.samhsa.gov/recoverme
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National HIRE Network
Helps individuals with criminal records find employment and re-enter the workforce, which is crucial for some of those recovering from substance use disorder.
Website: National HIRE Network
Franklin County (Columbus, OHIO) Street Card
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