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Source: (McLean, 2011)
People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) begin distributing sterile syringes to limit the transmission of HIV/AIDS. -
Source: (Fisher, 2012)
https://www.csis.org/blogs/smart-global-health/history-ban-federal-funding-syringe-exchange-programs In 1988, led by Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC), Congress enacted a prohibition on the use of federal funds for NSEPs through section 300ee-5 of the Public Health and Welfare Act. -
Source: (Melgarejo & Roberts, 2023) Edith Springer visits UK & Netherlands; returns to co-found harm reduction movement in the United States. -
Source: (HIV.gov, 2023) David Purchase sets up nation’s first needle-exchange program to combat HIV in Tacoma, Washington. He pays for needles out of pocket. Within 5 months, he exchanges 13,000 clean needles for contaminated ones. Purchase will go on to form the North American Syringe Exchange Network (NASEN) and become known as the “Godfather of Needle Exchange.” -
Source: ACT UP
https://actupny.org/documents/cron-90.html
Source: (Melgarejo & Roberts, 2023)
https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/NHCH_History-Foundations-of-HR-.pdf
ACT UP activists in Boston, NY, and San Francisco, arrested, then acquitted for criminal possession of hypodermic needles. -
Source: National Harm Reduction Coalition
Source:Comer Family Foundation
Half of the group were people of color who saw harm reduction as a social justice movement. -
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Source: Drug Policy Foundation
https://drugpolicy.org/drug-war-history/
In 1994 - Drug Policy Foundation is formed. Also in 1994, Ethan Nadelmann founded The Lindesmith Center as the first U.S. project of George Soros’ Open Society Institute. In 2000, the growing Center merged with the Drug Policy Foundation to create the Drug Policy Alliance (today’s leading drug policy reform organization). -
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Source: (Keilman, 2018)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-met-dan-bigg-heroin-obituary-20180821-story.html
Dan Bigg and the Chicago Recovery Alliance begin distributing naloxone to drug users in Chicago, moving availability beyond hospitals and ambulances. -
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Source: (NHRC, 2021)
Source: (Melgarejo & Roberts, 2023)
Programs were historically underfunded, understaffed, and underground and were started by people who use drugs, people living with HIV, LGBTQ, & grassroots activists. -
Source: (CDC, 2023)
https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/epidemic.html
[Source: (Melgarejo & Roberts, ))](https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/NHCH_History-Foundations-of-HR-.pdf The first wave began with increased prescribing of opioids in the 1990's, with overdose deaths involving prescription opioids (natural and semi-synthetic opioids and methadone) increasing since at least 1999. -
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Source: Drug Policy Foundation
https://drugpolicy.org/drug-war-history/ Source: (Melgarejo & Roberts, 2023)
https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/NHCH_History-Foundations-of-HR-.pdf In 2000, the growing Center merged with the Drug Policy Foundation to create the Drug Policy Alliance (today’s leading drug policy reform organization). -
Source: (Harm Reduction Therapy Center, 2022)
https://harmreductiontherapy.org/about/ Patt Denning and Jeannie Little created Harm Reduction Therapy Center, a non-profit mental health and substance use treatment organization founded on harm reduction principles, social justice, an in disagreement with the "War On Drugs" approach. -
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Source: (Learn To Cope, 2023)
https://learn2cope.org/about/meet-us/
Joanne Peterson founded Learn2Cope in 2004. Joanne’s journey started as a young girl with siblings experiencing issues with mental illness and addiction. After years of watching family members struggle with opioid addiction starting with prescriptions, she was motivated and empowered to use her voice to bring about change. -
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Source: (CDC, 2023)
https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/epidemic.html The second wave began in 2010, with rapid increases in overdose deaths involving heroin. From 1999-2021, nearly 645,000 people died from an overdose involving any opioid, including prescription and illicit opioids. -
Source: (Cibola-OSAP, 2019). The law protects people who seek help for a friend or family member who is experiencing a drug overdose and call 911. Since then over twenty states have followed suit with laws like New Mexico’s to address the overwhelming toll drug-related overdose deaths cost our nation. -
Source: (Melgarejo & Roberts, 2023)
https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/NHCH_History-Foundations-of-HR-.pdf In 2008, Overdose Survivors Network of Nevada (OSNN) formed by Temple University. -
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The Obama Administration includes naloxone in the National Drug Control Strategy.
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Source: (Tula, 2021)
Sex workers flag lack of support from harm reductionists at National Harm Reduction Conference. -
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Source: (Jones, 2019) Source: (Melgarejo & Roberts, 2023)
https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/NHCH_History-Foundations-of-HR-.pdf
Harm Reduction advocates win partial lifting on use of federal funds for SSPs -
Source: (Gutman, 2017)
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/seattle-king-county-move-to-create-2-injection-sites-for-drug-users/
Seattle becomes the first city in the United States to approve supervised consumption sites. -
Source: (At Hand Training, 2018) Source: (Melgarejo & Roberts, 2023)
https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/NHCH_History-Foundations-of-HR-.pdf 72,000 opioid-related fatalities surpass car accidents as
no.1 cause of death in US. -
Source: (Melgarejo & Roberts, 2023)
https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/NHCH_History-Foundations-of-HR-.pdf
Largest harm reduction conference in the world held in New Orleans. -
Source: (NHRC, 2018)
First organized faith-based effort to nationally promote harm reduction in the US. In collaboration with Judson Memorial Church, National Harm Reduction Coalition launched Faith in Harm Reduction to build bridges between harm reduction and faith communities. -
Source: (NCMB, 2023)
Source: (Melgarejo & Roberts, 2023)
https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/NHCH_History-Foundations-of-HR-.pdf In March 2020, COVID-19 explodes across the US, significantly increasing demand for harm reduction and treatment services. -
Source: (Katz & Sanger-katz, 2021)
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/07/14/upshot/drug-overdose-deaths.html December 2020 - 93,000 people: the highest number of opioid-related fatalities ever recorded. -
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Source: (Kornfield, 2021) August 2021 - The US faces a massive naloxone shortage. -
Source: (SAMHSA, 2021)
https://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/press-announcements/202112081000 SAMHSA announces an unprecedented $30 million harm reduction grant funding opportunity to help address the nation's substance use and overdose epidemic.
