Health District Launches Harm Reduction Program ANCHOR
District Health Department No. 4 unveiled the ANCHOR program, funded with state money, to curb disease spread and overdose deaths in northeast Michigan.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Substance Abuse
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District Health Department No. 4 has unveiled ANCHOR, a harm reduction program aimed at preventing disease spread through needle sharing and connecting people with addiction to resources. The program is funded by state money the department received.
Why it matters
The department received state funding because overdose death levels per capita were elevated in Cheboygan County and rising across its coverage area. Michigan's northeast region has been described as ground zero for the opioid crisis.
Montmorency County's 2024 overdose death rate of 20.4 per 100,000 people exceeded the statewide average of 19.1, according to MDHHS county figures. The 2024 rate for Presque Isle County could not be determined from the available data.
The players
District Health Department No. 4
The northeast Michigan public health agency that launched the ANCHOR harm reduction program and received state funding for it.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
The state agency that reports county-level overdose death data used to justify the program's funding.
The details
ANCHOR aims to prevent disease spread through needle sharing and to connect addicted individuals with help to stay sober. The program provides sterile supplies, overdose prevention resources, infectious disease education, and help navigating social-service systems. Officials cite fentanyl as the cause of 95% of regional opioid overdose deaths.
Timeline
2014 (late): Three HIV cases were detected in Scott County, Indiana, with needle sharing suspected.
April 2015: 135 HIV cases were confirmed in the Scott County outbreak.
2022: Michigan recorded 2,422 opioid overdose deaths statewide.
2024: MDHHS reported county overdose death rates for the District Health Department No. 4 counties.
Historical Parallel
The ANCHOR program is positioned against the 2015 Scott County, Indiana HIV outbreak, the largest of its kind in U.S. history, which was linked to needle sharing and ultimately reached 237 cases. Officials in northeast Michigan cite that precedent as a reason to act before comparable spread occurs locally.
Residents in the covered counties can access sterile supplies, overdose prevention resources, and help navigating social-service systems through the ANCHOR program. The program also offers infectious disease education and referrals to care for people who use drugs.
The takeaway
Harm reduction programs like ANCHOR connect people to sterile supplies, care, and social services before disease or overdose escalates. Residents concerned about substance use can contact local health departments to learn what resources are available.
Further reading
Explore more on Substance Abuse to see how harm reduction efforts are shaping responses to the opioid crisis.
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