Norway has taken an important step in strengthening its public health preparedness by launching overdosefare.no, a new national digital alert system aimed at preventing overdoses and saving lives.
The service is designed to warn when high-risk drugs are circulating, allowing people who use drugs, their networks, and health and social services to take timely precautions.
The initiative comes at a time when drug markets are becoming increasingly unpredictable, with potent synthetic substances appearing more frequently across Europe.
By enabling faster information sharing and coordinated responses, the system supports harm reduction, preparedness, and overdose prevention nationwide.
Norway has launched overdosefare.no, a new national digital alert system designed to help prevent overdoses and save lives by warning when high-risk drugs are circulating.
The service was launched on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, and has been developed by the Norwegian Directorate of Health (Helsedirektoratet) in cooperation with KORUS, user organisations, and people with lived experience.
Overdosefare.no is a new alert system designed to warn when high-risk narcotic substances are in circulation. The aim is to give people who use drugs and health services the opportunity to take precautions and prevent overdoses and deaths.
“This is a concrete measure that follows up the government’s prevention and treatment reform in the field of substance use, where we place a strong emphasis on preparedness and safety. In many places, also across Europe, we are seeing a sharp increase in new psychoactive substances, including nitazenes, which have led to local poisoning outbreaks. This shows that we need tools that can quickly identify new threats and share information effectively so that we can implement coordinated measures. We cannot afford to lose anyone to overdoses,”
says Minister of Health and Care Services Jan Christian Vestre.
Taking action to reduce risk
“With overdosefare.no, we ensure immediate and simultaneous alerts to everyone affected. When users know that dangerous substances are in circulation, they can take steps to reduce risk – and services can mobilise resources and activate preparedness,” says Director of Health Cathrine M. Lofthus.
The tool overdosefare.no is intended to inform services and people who use drugs as quickly as possible when situations involving dangerous substances arise.
The background includes, among other things, a dramatic incident in Dublin in 2023, when 57 people overdosed over the course of a few days. The cause was a relatively new synthetic opioid – nitazenes – which are several hundred times stronger than heroin.
Such substances, together with fentanyl and other potent opioids, are sometimes sold as heroin or mixed with other drugs. This results in unpredictable and dangerous effects.
342 drug-induced deaths
In 2024, 342 drug-induced deaths (overdoses) were recorded in Norway. This is a decrease from 391 deaths the year before, but the figures are still high compared with previous years. There has been a major change in which substances people die from, with heroin no longer the dominant cause.
Other opioids, such as morphine, oxycodone and codeine, accounted for the largest share of overdose deaths in 2024 at 36%, while synthetic opioids – including fentanyl and buprenorphine – accounted for a further 19%.
“We hope this system can prevent incidents like the one in Dublin – and less serious episodes. Opioid use increases the risk of overdose, especially with synthetic opioids. The combination of different substances can amplify effects and make them unpredictable. In opioid overdoses, the antidote naloxone is used; it is available as a nasal spray and can be administered by anyone who is first on the scene of an overdose,” says Lofthus.
Regional and local preparedness
Alerts from overdosefare.no give municipalities, hospitals and ambulance services the opportunity to implement measures quickly. This may include strengthening access to naloxone, increasing staffing in low-threshold services, and informing users through outreach services. The system facilitates coordinated action between national, regional and local actors.
How overdosefare.no works
Anyone can report suspected dangerous substances via an anonymous form on the website. Professionals assess the reports and verify them against other sources. If the risk is confirmed, an alert is published on overdosefare.no – and subscribers receive an SMS alert.
22.01.2026.
