Guilford County, Greensboro host harm reduction event with naloxone training

At Next Door Beer Bar and Bottle Shop on North Greene Street, Guilford County and Greensboro tried to make overdose prevention feel accessible instead of clinical. Naloxone training, overdose-prevention help and sexual-health resources were all offered under one roof, alongside food trucks, an ice cream truck, music and door prizes.

The Harm Reduction Hangout and Resource Expo ran from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 505 North Greene Street, bringing together the Guilford County Division of Public Health and the city’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion team. Officials tied the event to International Harm Reduction Day and its CARE framework, which emphasizes compassion, autonomy, reducing risk and using evidence. Guilford County describes harm reduction as “an evidence-based approach that focuses on reducing the negative consequences of drug use and promoting health.”

Courtney McFadden said the county is expanding naloxone access, strengthening partnerships and using data-driven action to reduce overdoses and improve community health. Mary Houser said the event was intended for anyone looking for resources, connection or even simple curiosity, underscoring how low the barrier was for residents who might not otherwise walk into a health office for help.

The county’s opioid-response system already includes GCSTOP, which provides harm-reduction education, naloxone training and distribution, and both mobile and fixed-site syringe services programs. Another county effort, the Guilford Overdose Prevention and Education Collective, or GOPEC, is led by the county’s drug and injury prevention manager and brings together people with lived experience, health care representatives, local nonprofits, first responders and human services to connect residents with resources that can prevent a fatal overdose.

Greensboro’s LEAD program adds a public-safety piece to that network. The city says the program diverts some people whose offenses stem from addiction into support services instead of the justice system, with referrals that can include housing, education, employment, substance abuse and harm reduction help.

The event was not a one-off. Greensboro and Guilford County held a similar International Harm Reduction Day gathering at the same venue in 2025, and county opioid-settlement stakeholder discussions that year showed support for harm reduction, naloxone training and distribution, and stronger agency partnerships. For families facing overdose risk, the takeaway was immediate: at 505 North Greene Street, residents could get naloxone training, learn overdose-prevention steps and leave with a direct path into county and city services.