harm reduction

Injection Sites Would Save Lives

NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT – July 9, 2023 - But addiction is not governed by commonsense, reason or logic. It is a compulsive, self-destructive disease. Addicts who can’t use in a safe environment will play Russian roul... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionJuly 18 2023OverdoseRecoveryRehabTrauma

Honolulu 1st Major U.S. City to Require Naloxone in Bars

A SHOT OF WHAT? – July 12, 2023 - “The passage of Bill 28 by the Honolulu City Council today represents a collective commitment to saving lives and providing immediate assistance to those in the grips of addiction. N... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionJuly 18 2023OverdoseRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Colorado Stocks Life-Saving Antidote in Public

SMART and SAD – July 4, 2023 - Now, more than 300 public, indoor locations countywide with automatic external defibrillators — known as AEDs — are also stocked with life-saving naloxone so that it is close at ... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionJuly 11 2023RecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Oregon Built a New Addiction Treatment System—Does It Work?

AUDIO – IT’S COMPLICATED – June 17, 2023 - Earlier that morning, he had walked out of Umatilla County jail, past a family of bunnies snacking on the manicured lawn, crossed the parking lot and entered the parole and ... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionJuly 4 2023RecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Mexico had Methods to Tackle Addiction in the 1940s

LEGALIZE IT – June 20, 2023 - But harm reduction is far from a new idea. While we frequently hear U.S. politicians and media outlets cast blame on Mexico for the rising number of drug-related deaths in the Unit... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionJune 27 2023Recovery

Narcan, Crackpipe, Tampons, Lip Balm in Vending Machine

IN EVERY SUBWAY STATION! – June 5, 2023 - Commissioner Ashwin Vasan just unveiled a vending machine that dispenses free Narcan and drug-test strips — along with “safe-smoking” pipes, condoms, tampons, nicotine... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionJune 13 2023methOverdoseRecovery

‘I yelled, “I’m putting this up your nose”’: what it’s like to use Narcan

JUST SAY YES – May 30, 2023 - Naloxone, better known by the brand name Narcan, reverses overdoses by binding to the opioid receptors in the brain, blocking the effects of drugs such as fentanyl or heroin. Harm reduct... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionfentanylharm reductionHeroin AddictioninterventionJune 6 2023opioid crisisopioidsOverdoseoxycontinRecoveryTrauma

Naloxone has been hailed as life-saving. Why isn’t it given to those who need it?

I WONDER – May 19, 2023 - Chakravarthy, whose hospital is in northern Orange county, has in recent years, like many other medical providers across the country, seen an increase in fentanyl use, which is as much as 50... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionMay 23 2023RecoveryRehab

Lawmakers Push Back Against ‘Harm Reduction’

INSANITY – May 4, 2023 - A nonprofit group called Safehouse has been negotiating with the U.S. Justice Department, hoping to open supervised injection clinics in Philadelphia. If this measure is approved and... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductionMay 9 2023RecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Burnout Among Harm Reduction Workers

THE FRONT LINE IS DANGEROUS – March 20, 2023 - There are a great many things a person could be doing every day, Graham continued, but never enough time to do them all. So harm reduction workers and community organiza... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryApril 4 2023Big PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionMental HealthRecoveryRecovery AdvocateTrauma

FDA Approves Over-The-Counter Narcan

JUST LIKE ASPIRIN – March 29, 2023 - Advocates believe it’s important to get naloxone to the people who are most likely to be around overdoses, including people who use drugs and their relatives. The decision “rep... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryApril 4 2023Big PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionOverdoseRecovery

We Need Harm Reduction Built for and by Youth Who Use Drugs

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL LIVE – Feb. 10, 2023 - It remains so hard for many people to get their heads around the importance of harm reduction programs and spaces dedicated to young people. Older adults remain... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaCompassionDrug Abuse and AddictionFeb 14 2023harm reductioninterventionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Canada Province Decriminalizing Hard Drugs

IT WILL SAVE LIVES – Jan. 31, 2023 - Sellers and traffickers of hard drugs, however, will continue to face criminal prosecution during the three-year pilot project. “The situation has never been more urgent,... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and AddictionFeb 7 2023harm reductioninterventionRecoveryRehab

SAMHSA’s Methadone Reforms Toothless

LIKE ALWAYS – Jan. 12, 2023 - SAMHSA’s new proposals are also geared to help “those who reside far from an OTP or who lack access to reliable transportation to receive treatment … care for loved ones and... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionJan 24 2023methRecoveryRehab

Heroin Nasal Spray Increases Harm Reduction Options

LENNY BRUCE WOULD HAVE APPROVED – Jan. 17, 2023 - “You don’t have the same feeling—no rush, the same high as you get from injecting,” Dr. Vogel told Filter. And some people who don’t want to inject nonetheless... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductionHeroin AddictioninterventionJan 24 2023RecoveryRehab

Hospitals Use Storytelling to Reduce Stigma Toward Addicts

ONCE UPON A TIME... – Jan. 6, 2023 - The power of story to eliminate stigma! Smith’s negative experiences in health care settings led her on the path to becoming an occupational therapist. She hopes to help peo... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionJan 10 2023RecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Integrative Life Network Expands into New Mexico with Acquisition of Shadow Mountain Recovery Centers

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES – Jan. 3, 2023 - Nashville, Tennessee-based Integrative Life Network gains a new state market through the deal. It also extends its “evidence-based trauma-resolution modalities” to Shadow Mo... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionJan 10 2023RecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Meet 25 Heroes Saving Lives Amid the Overdose Crisis

VIDEO – POLICIES MATTER! – Jan. 5, 2023 - “What we need to see happen is continued physician prescribing of naloxone, but also removing the barriers physicians, emergency departments and harm-reduction organizations... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionJan 10 2023RecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Our Governments Are Addicted to Addiction

TAXES TRUMP QUITTING – Dec. 17, 2022 - Alcohol is one of the five most addictive substances according to many studies. Other drugs that typically make the inglorious list are heroin, cocaine, nicotine an... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 27 2022Drug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Jail Helps Inmates with Addiction Reduce the Recidivism

VIDEO – THERE SHOULD BE MORE LIKE IT – Dec. 12, 2022 - It’s estimated that up to 65% of the U.S. prison population has an active substance use disorder. When these inmates are released, studies have show... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 20 2022Drug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionRecoveryRehabTrauma

Parents, You Need Narcan

CORN FLAKES, MILK & NARCAN – Dec. 4, 2022 - But after a minute, she returned to the bedroom. The noises he was making were disconcerting. And when she shook him, he didn’t respond. Kyle was not asleep. He h... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaCompassionDec 13 2022Drug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionOverdoseRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehabteenagersTrauma

Addiction and Stigmatizing Language

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME STILL HAS THORNS – Nov. 29, 2022 - When our clients use these words to identify themselves or their behaviors, we typically pause the conversation to explore what they mean becau... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 6 2022Drug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

FDA Authorizes Overdose-Reversing Medicines for Over-the-Counter Sale

UN-DRUG STORE – Nov. 15, 2022 - Nationwide, other solutions to reduce overdose deaths are being tested at the state and local levels. In late 2021, New York City opened the country’s first legal supervis... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaCompassionDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionNov 22 2022RecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Can Safe Injection Sites Reduce New York Deaths?

DO SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES? – Nov. 1, 2022 - The record achieved by OnPoint NYC, the nonprofit agency that runs the two supervised narcotics consumption sites in New York City, is being cited by advocates who con... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionNov 8 2022OverdoseRecovery

Americans’ Word Choices Are Part of the Problem

A ROSE IS ROSE IS A ROSE – Oct. 26, 2022 - The terms, of course, mean functionally the same thing. But in the field of addiction medicine, the question presents something of a crisis. Even as drugs and alcohol ... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionNov 1 2022RecoveryRecovery Advocate

Lululemon Founder Helped Promote Film Demonizing Vancouver’s Homeless

EXERCISE THIS! – Oct. 14, 2022 - The film repeatedly portrays Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside as beset by “skyrocketing crime and violent attacks” and repeatedly characterizes the city’s homeless populatio... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductionhomelessinterventionMental HealthOct 25 2022RecoveryRehabTrauma

Commentary: Harm Reduction and the Proletariat

STOP THE MADNESS – Oct. 13, 2022 - Now opium derivatives, like heroin, are once again the actual opium of the people. People use heroin and fentanyl analogues to escape oppression temporarily. Black Pant... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionOct 18 2022opioid crisisopioidsOverdoseoxycontinPurdue PharmaRecoveryTrauma

Overdose Prevention Scheme Gives Users Shopping Vouchers

VIDEO – BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY – Oct. 5, 2022 - One of the voucher recipients is Kevin Whittaker, 44. He’s been using class-A drugs since his late 30s. He said: “I’ll see what shop I’m passing at the time an... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionOct 11 2022OverdoseRecoveryRehab

Hospitals have specialists on call for lots of disorders – but not addiction

DUH, GOOD IDEA, YA THINK? – Sept. 30, 2022 - At many hospitals in Massachusetts and across the country, Marie would likely have been discharged anyway, while still in the pain of withdrawal. Perhaps she would l... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionOct 4 2022RecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Big Drop Seen in Treatment Admissions During Pandemic

THERE’S ALWAYS AA and HARM REDUCTION – Sept. 26, 2022 - For the study, his team looked at admissions for substance use disorder treatment between 2017 and 2019, the years just before the pandemic, and du... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionOct 4 2022RecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

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