Athens, Greece
Athens, Greece
How Athens is saving lives with naloxone
Athens is one of many cities around the world facing an opioid overdose crisis. With support from the Partnership, the city has implemented widely recognized harm reduction programs for people who use drugs and the unhoused population—and has also played a key role in encouraging national-level drug policies.
Fighting the opioid crisis: the case of Athens, Greece
This feature was originally published by the World Health Organization on August 30, 2023
Fotini Leobilla has dedicated her life to preventing drug overdose in Athens, Greece. In the early 1980’s she started using opioids and continued to use them until her husband died from an overdose in 1998. Through her recovery, she continues to recognize the shame that prevents people from seeking treatment. She is “haunted by the countless overdose victims” whom she has met along the way.
Read the full story here.
More Information
- Read the Vital Story: In Athens, Investing in Public Health Means Strengthening Harm Reduction Services
- Read the WHO case study: Care and guidance for marginalised populations during the COVID-19 pandemic: Athens, Greece
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Key resources:
- World Health Organization: Opioid overdose
- Vital Strategies: Overdose prevention
- Vital Strategies: Access to Naloxone to Reduce Overdose Deaths
- Vital Strategies: For International Overdose Awareness Day, Hundreds of Communities Take Action to Stem Overdose Crisis