RX Summit Presenters Embrace Harm Reduction for Recovery-Ready Communities

Harm reduction services for people with substance use disorder demonstrate efficacy, but they continue to encounter social stigma and barriers, according to a poster presentation at the RX and Illicit Drug Summit in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Critics often perpetuate misconceptions that these programs enable substance abuse or encourage risky behaviors,” wrote presenter Celsea Craycraft, national program director of Young People in Recovery. “However, we must bridge the divide between active use and active recovery to turn lives around.”

The poster presented a comprehensive background on harm reduction programs and facts that can guide empathetic conversations with policymakers, community leaders, and health care professionals. 

“The opioid epidemic was catapulted into existence by pharmaceutical companies,” Craycraft pointed out. “Patients trusting their providers became dependent on a substance without fully disclosing the risks. Due to the stigma surrounding harm reduction, these individuals are in an impossible cycle.”

Strategies such as naloxone, syringe exchange programs, and safe consumption sites keep people with substance use disorder alive and position them for recovery. Yet the United States has room for improvement when measured against other countries, and even itself. For example, the origin of modern methadone clinics and safe consumption sites dates back more than a century to the 1910s, when morphine maintenance clinics began operating throughout the United States. Today, however, only 2 safe consumption sites are in operation in the country. Both are located in New York City.

Additionally, 7 states (Alabama, Delaware, Wyoming, South Dakota, Kansas, Mississippi, and Nebraska) fail to offer syringe exchange programs. Three states (Kansas, Texas, and Wyoming) neglect to provide immunity from arrest, charge, or prosecution for drug possession to people who summon emergency services for an overdose. States that provide immunity for drug-related acts in their Good Samaritan laws have lower overdose rates, according to the poster.

“As we progress toward a more compassionate and enlightened society, this presentation advocates for a paradigm shift toward embracing harm reduction strategies as essential components of public health policies and creating recovery-ready communities,” Craycraft wrote. “By understanding its historical context and challenging stigmas, we can create a supportive environment that empowers individuals to seek help and access resources, ultimately fostering healthier, more resilient communities of individuals willing to seek the resources not only to live but thrive.”

The Young People in Recovery Harm Reduction Toolkit is available online.

Reference

Craycraft C. Harm reduction toolkit: promoting recovery-ready communities. Poster presented at RX and Illicit Drug Summit; April 1-4, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia