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Harm Reduction Field and Practices Emerge as Community Responds to the Effects of the "War On Drugs," HIV/AIDS Epidemic, and Government Inaction
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CDC Publishes Findings that HIV is Transmissible through Intravenous Drug Use, Marking Early Awareness of the Need for Harm Reduction
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PWUD Begin Distributing Sterile Syringes to Limit the Transmission of HIV/AIDS
Source: (McLean, 2011)
People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) begin distributing sterile syringes to limit the transmission of HIV/AIDS. -
Congress Bans Federal Funding For Needle Exchanges
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. -
Edith Springer Visits UK & Netherlands; Returns to Co-Found Harm Reduction Movement in the United States
Source: (Melgarejo & Roberts, 2023) Edith Springer visits UK & Netherlands; returns to co-found harm reduction movement in the United States. -
David Purchase Opens First Publicly-Funded Needle Exchange In Tacoma Washington
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.” -
ACT UP! Activists Arrested In Various Cities; Acquitted for Criminal Possession of Hypodermic Needles
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. -
First Harm Reduction Working Group meeting is held in San Francisco, leading to the establishment of the National Harm Reduction Coalition and the Principles and Definition of Harm Reduction
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. -
First National Syringe Exchange Conference Held In Boston
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Drug Policy Foundation Formed
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). -
Harm Reduction Coalition Incorporates in Oakland, CA
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First National Harm Reduction Conference Held In Oakland, CA
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Clinton Rejects U.S. Sentencing Commission Recommendations To Eliminate Disparities Between Crack and Powder Cocaine Possession
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Dan Bigg and the Chicago Recovery Alliance Begin Distributing Naloxone to Drug Users in Chicago
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. -
Clinton Administration Bans Use of Federal Funds to Support Needle Exchange Programs
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Imani Woods Flags Racial Disparities in Harm Reduction & SUD Treatment
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Harm Reduction Programs Begin Opening Across the United States - Underground In Most Regions
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. -
First Wave of Opioid Crisis: New England & Appalachia
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. -
First Naloxone Distribution Program Opens In Chicago and Massachusetts
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Drug Policy Foundation & Lindsmith Merge To Form Drug Policy Alliance
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). -
Patt Denning and Jeannie Little Open Harm Reduction Therapy Center In San Francisco
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. -
Oxycontin Hits the Streets of New England & Cambridge NEP Starts Importing Naloxone from Chicago
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Crack Paraphernalia is Included in Harm Reduction Supplies
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Learn to Cope Forms in MA, the first family peer support network
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. -
HIV Transmission Among PWID Begins To Decline
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Second Wave of Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths Begin (Heroin)
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. -
New Mexico Becomes First State To Pass 911 Good Samaritan Law
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. -
OSNN Formed By Temple University
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. -
Congress Ends the Ban on Federal Funding for Needle Exchanges
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Obama Administration Includes Naloxone in National Drug Control Strategy
The Obama Administration includes naloxone in the National Drug Control Strategy. -
Sex Workers Flag Lack of Support from Harm Reductionists at National Harm Reduction Conference
Source: (Tula, 2021)
Sex workers flag lack of support from harm reductionists at National Harm Reduction Conference. -
Third Wave of Opioid-Related OD's (Fentanyl)
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Harm Reduction Advocates Win Partial Lifting on Use of Federal Funds for SSPs
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 -
Seattle Becomes First City in the United States to Approve Supervised Consumption Sites
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. -
72,000 opioid-related fatalities surpass car accidents as no.1 cause of death in US.
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. -
Largest Harm Reduction Conference in World Held in New Orleans
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. -
Launch of "Faith in Harm Reduction"
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. -
COVID-19 Explodes Across U.S. Increasing Demand For Harm Reduction Services
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. -
93,000 Opioid-Related Fatalities - Highest Ever Recorded
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. -
Rhode Island Becomes the First State to Legalize Supervised Consumption Sites
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U.S. Faces Massive Naloxone Shortage
Source: (Kornfield, 2021) August 2021 - The US faces a massive naloxone shortage. -
SAMHSA Announces $30 Million For Harm Reduction Programs To Address Substance Use
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.
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