As U.S. Overdose Deaths Fall, Arizona's Keep Climbing: Catalina Behavioral Health Launches Free Naloxone Guide for Families in Response

New online resource walks Arizona families through recognizing an opioid overdose and responding with naloxone, as May CDC data show the state posting one of the sharpest increases in the nation

TUCSON, Ariz., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Catalina Behavioral Health, a Joint Commission-accredited treatment center for substance use and mental health disorders, today announced the launch of "Arizona Overdose Response: A Family's Guide to Naloxone," a free online resource created to help Arizona families recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and respond quickly with naloxone.

The guide arrives as newly released federal data confirm a trend Arizona addiction specialists have been watching closely for months: while the U.S. overdose death rate keeps falling, Arizona's is moving sharply in the opposite direction.

Their center encourages those seeking support, whether for themselves, a loved one, or as a clinician referral, to reach out directly via confidential call.

Provisional data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in May 2026 showed U.S. overdose deaths fell by roughly 14% in 2025, the third consecutive annual decline. Arizona was one of only a handful of states to move the other way, with overdose deaths climbing more than 17% year over year - among the steepest increases in the country, alongside New Mexico, Colorado and North Dakota.

A separate analysis by the Arizona Public Health Association estimated the state's overdose deaths rose from 2,531 in 2024 to 2,988 in 2025, with deaths involving synthetic opioids such as fentanyl climbing nearly 33%. State health officials also reported that naloxone-reversed overdoses in Arizona nearly tripled over the same period.

Officials have pointed to an increasingly volatile drug supply, including fentanyl mixed with methamphetamine and other adulterants, and Arizona's position along a major trafficking corridor as likely contributors to the reversal.

"When overdose deaths are rising this fast, families are often the ones in the room when it matters most. This guide gives them clear, practical steps to recognize an overdose and use naloxone, with no medical background required," said Mabel Tobah, PMHNP-BC, Lead Clinician, Catalina Behavioral Health.

The new guide, available now at https://catalinabehavioralhealth/arizona-overdose-response-naloxone-family-guide/, covers:

• How to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose
• Step-by-step instructions for administering naloxone (Narcan®)
• Where Arizona families can get naloxone at no cost, including through the state's pharmacy standing order
• What Arizona's Good Samaritan law protects when someone calls for help during an overdose
• How to start a conversation with a loved one about overdose risk and next steps toward treatment

"This guide is one piece of a larger response. Families who want additional support for a loved one's substance use or their own can reach our admissions team directly," said Ms. Tobah.

For more information, visit catalinabehavioralhealth.com.

About Catalina Behavioral Health

Located in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Tucson, Arizona, Catalina Behavioral Health is a Joint Commission-accredited treatment center offering addiction treatment as well as mental health-primary treatment across inpatient and outpatient levels of care, including residential treatment, partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP) and outpatient care for adults facing substance use disorders, mental health conditions and co-occurring diagnoses.

Its multidisciplinary team treats alcohol, opioid, methamphetamine and other substance use disorders alongside conditions such as depression, anxiety, trauma and bipolar disorder, using individual, group and family therapy alongside medication management. Catalina Behavioral Health accepts most major insurance plans.

Media Contact:

Shawna Beckman

Executive Director

Catalina Behavioral Health

520.999.2560

SOURCE Catalina Behavioral Health