More than 200 people in the United States die each day of an opioid-involved overdose. Methadone is an evidence-based medication that helps individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) reclaim their lives by curbing withdrawals and cravings. However, access is hampered by overregulation and a monopolistic system of “opioid treatment programs” (OTPs).

The Idaho Legislature recently voted to repeal their prior authorization of “safer syringe programs” (SSPs). Since 2019, Idaho’s SSPs have saved lives and protected communities across the state. Banning them will have consequences, and not just for people who use drugs.

The legislative application of harm reduction is not always consistent when it comes to substance use: Proponents of harm reduction policy for one substance may be against the approach for another. In this study, we examined the harm reduction policy landscape across three substances— tobacco, opioids, and cannabis—in all 50 states.

After nearly two decades, the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has had little impact in saving lives. It is time for WHO to acknowledge the existence of tobacco harm reduction (THR) approaches and fully implement THR into their strategy to improve the lives of those who smoke.

PrEP and PEP are medications that decrease the likelihood of becoming infected with HIV if exposed. When taken as prescribed, PrEP reduces the risk of HIV from sex and injection drug use by 99% and at least 74% respectively. Observational studies suggest PEP can reduce the risk of HIV by more than 80% under conditions where people miss doses, and likely by much more when used as prescribed.

The Louisiana State Legislature is considering a bill that would allow pharmacists to prescribe medications that prevent HIV infection directly to patients. HB579 signals that Louisiana is serious about reducing the burden of HIV on the state.

In 2021, OnPoint NYC began operating the United States’ first publicly recognized overdose prevention centers (OPCs). Proponents point to decades of research from other countries suggesting that OPCs save lives, reduce demand for emergency medical services, and cut public drug use. Detractors continue to worry that OPCs encourage criminal activity in surrounding areas.

At the end of January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released statistics outlining the number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that occurred in 2022. This post updates the statistics shared in “Summarizing STI Statistics and Innovations” and explores less splashy STI news.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are much more common than many people think. So common, in fact, that more than half of U.S. citizens will contract an STI at some point. Despite this, few people openly talk about their experiences with STIs, further perpetuating the stigma associated with a diagnosis.

There is new evidence that electronic nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS) products are an effective tobacco harm reduction tool, and supported by medical professionals; yet as evidence grows, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to limit access to new ENDS products.

By deterring bystanders from calling 911 in the case of an overdose, SB 718 would risk the lives of Florida’s most vulnerable residents. And by perpetuating a false narrative about fentanyl exposure, it may increase anxiety among first responders while denying them access to the training and information that could actually keep them safer in the era of fentanyl.

In the past year, 35.2 percent of U.S. adults have not had a wellness visit.

By 2034, there could be a shortage of up to 40,920 primary care physicians.

Although research on labeling standards for recreational and medicinal cannabis products is sparse, the existing research offers some suggestions on important labeling elements for legalized cannabis products.

Harm reduction must be applied in concert with other tactics to reduce deaths and improve well-being. But its current limits are not because the approach itself is lacking; rather, they are the result of insufficient funding and policy environments that continue to get in the way.

No single strategy can reverse the increase in STIs—a comprehensive approach is needed. This post provides an overview of key facts and recent news about STIs.

The FDA-CTP continues to ignore the need to establish standards that science can be applied against in the development of new products that may act to greatly reduce the health burdens associated with the use of traditional combustible tobacco products.

This policy study explores what is known about medical cannabis patients’ use patterns; describes marketplace trends and medical relevance of cannabinoid content; and suggests policies to promote safe, effective and accessible medical cannabis products for patients.

Although medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is currently considered the gold-standard treatment, access remains limited. Research indicates that only about one in four people living with an OUD receive targeted, medication-based treatment.

In Southeast Asia alone, which is one of the largest areas of tobacco production and consumption, approximately 1.6 million lives are lost to smoking-related disease each year.

While OTC naloxone represents an exciting shift in the visibility of naloxone, a relatively small proportion of the medication is accessed through retail pharmacies.

While treatment can be the preferred path for some pregnant people, harm reduction is another option for those who cannot or will not abstain during pregnancy.

Substance use disorder (SUD) is only one reason why people use drugs. Understanding why people use drugs can help us understand why harm reduction is such an important complement to treatment and prevention.

16.95 million doses of the opioid antagonist naloxone were dispensed in 2021. Research indicates that communities should have sufficient naloxone availability to reverse 80 percent of witnessed overdoses. States have enacted access laws to allow the drug to be sold at pharmacies without a prescription, but few communities have….

Naloxone, a safe and effective opioid overdose reversal agent, is one of many essential tools in preventing overdose deaths, but only if it is put into the right hands. Public health experts consider the goal of community saturation—defined as having sufficient community-based naloxone kits to reverse 80 percent of witnessed overdoses—to be both desirable and attainable.

Although medical advocacy organizations’ statements often offer a balanced assessment of e-cigarettes’ potential harms, the message that has been reaching policymakers and the public is that e-cigarettes are more harmful than combustible cigarettes, which is the opposite of the general scientific consensus...

In April, the Biden-Harris administration issued
unprecedented funding for harm reduction, a pragmatic public health solution to the opioid crisis that killed almost 70,000 people in the United States in 2020. Strategies to mitigate the negative health consequences of risky behaviors are not new. In 1964…

A growing body of research supports psychedelics’ promise in the treatment of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and they are increasingly considered potentially important resources in a pharmaceutical environment that has been slow to find novel solutions for mental health conditions. Consequently, legislative change to allow psychedelic use is blooming across the United States.

Tobacco products exist on a continuum of risk, with combustible products representing the highest risk and electronic nicotine delivery systems falling at the lower end of the risk continuum. Risk-proportionate legislation takes the risk level of tobacco products into consideration when designing regulations. That is…

As cannabis legalization continues to gain momentum, concerns from opponents in a few main areas remain consistent. Authors Stacey McKenna and Chelsea Boyd analyze the validity of five major concerns frequently used in anti-cannabis messaging and find that while some contain kernels of truth, these…

With opioid overdose deaths reaching new highs, the conversation about expanding harm reduction programs is more urgent than ever. In response, cities across the country have indicated support for opening overdose prevention centers (OPCs). OPCs, also known as supervised consumption facilities, are places where people who use drugs (PWUD) can consume drugs they acquire…

As a nation, we are far from embodying the World Health Organization’s ideal of approaching sexual health and sexuality with a positive, respectful and affirming approach. To achieve a freer and healthier society, sexual health policy should not impede individuals’ ability to decide how to engage (or not engage) in sexual activity and how to reduce the risk of undesirable outcomes.

From the time they were first introduced into the market, e-cigarettes have been at the center of a public health debate about their value as smoking-cessation devices versus their appeal to adolescents and potential youth uptake. Since 2019, elected officials in the Northeastern region of the United States—defined herein as Maryland to Maine—have put…

In the United States, half of all people will be diagnosed with a mental health disorder in their lifetime, and depression is the leading cause of years of life lost due to disability worldwide. This paper describes the current evidence for using psychedelics as a treatment for mental health disorders, explores the existing policy landscape and offers suggestions for future psychedelic policy.

Tamera Lynn Stewart had been taking prescribed opioids for 12 years to treat her chronic pain, following some cancer-related surgeries. Then one day in April 2018, her doctor told her he could no longer maintain the treatment that had worked so well for all those years.