Clean syringes seem counterintuitive to fentanyl fight. But needle exchange saves lives.
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN USA TODAY
Opponents of SSPs argue that they enable drug use and make neighborhoods less safe. However, when implemented according to best practices, there is actually plenty of evidence to the contrary.
Commentary from R Street’s Mazen Saleh and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams
What the…? Safer From Harm on Methadone
Methadone is a “gold standard” treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). But it is over-regulated, stigmatized, and out of reach for many Americans. We talk to Stacey McKenna, R Street’s Resident Senior Fellow in Integrated Harm Reduction, to understand how methadone works, identify existing barriers, and learn what is being done to expand access.
What the…? Safer From Harm on Why Fentanyl is in Stuff
A friend recently asked me, “Why are drug traffickers putting fentanyl in fake prescription pills? Why would they sell a deadly ingredient to their customers?”
Interconnected: Harm Reduction and Older Adults
Baby Boomers are using substances—both legal and illegal—at increasing rates. They deserve attention, autonomy in making decisions about their health, and access to options that can reduce their risks.
Harm Reduction Belongs Everywhere
It’s time to get over our instinct to tell people to “just quit” whatever they’re doing, which too often really means—whether we intend it to or not—“serves you right” or “quit or die.”
The Effects of Drug Decriminalization in Oregon: An Interview with Drug Policy Alliance’s Matt Sutton
In 2020, Oregonians passed the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act, which decriminalized possession of small quantities of formerly illicit drugs.
Policymakers Move to Expand Addiction Treatment with the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act
Expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs) is key in reducing fatal overdoses in the country.
Study Claiming SSPs Increase Overdoses Overlooks Nuances of Real-World Drug Environments
Decades of data support the role of SSPs in reducing the spread of infectious disease and indicate that they do not encourage drug use, but rather recovery.
Maryland legislators must put aside their partisan differences to target opioid overdoses
As Maryland emerges again from the latest surge of the COVID-19 pandemic
New York Post opioid coverage is divisive, fear-mongering tabloid fodder
New York Post opioid coverage is divisive, fear-mongering tabloid fodder
The Latest on Harm Reduction
The Safer from Harm blog features analysis, interviews, news, and more from across the spectrum about public health and harm reduction.
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