Harm Reduction Legal Project Resources
Communities across the United States are struggling with an epidemic of drug-related harm. Harm reduction programs can be critical to saving lives, but are often hindered by laws and policies that reflect an outdated, punitive-focused approach to drugs and individuals who use them. The Harm Reduction Legal Project addresses legal and policy barriers that hamper the establishment and scale-up of evidence-based harm reduction measures.
Resources
State Non-Fatal Overdose Reporting Requirements
Naloxone Insurance Coverage Mandates
Evidence for Fentanyl Test Strips
California Naloxone Liability Protections
Removal of the “X-Waiver” Requirement
Legality of Drug Checking Equipment in the United States
Tennessee’s Naloxone Access Law, Explained
Legality of Dispensing Naloxone to Minors in California
Legality of Expired Naloxone in Tennessee
Legality of Dispensing and Administering Expired Naloxone in Texas
Legality of Dispensing and Administering Expired Naloxone in Kentucky
Legality of Expired Naloxone in Missouri
Legality of Dispensing Naloxone to Minors in Illinois
Legality of Expired Naloxone in Kansas
Legality of Syringe Access Programs in South Carolina
Legality of Expired Naloxone in North Carolina
Legality of Expired Naloxone in Oregon
Legality of Dispensing Expired Naloxone in Washington
Legality of Dispensing Expired Naloxone in California
Substance Use Disorder (SUD)-Related Emergency Department Mandates
Legal Interventions to Reduce Overdose Mortality: Overdose Good Samaritan Laws
Legality of Dispensing Naloxone to Minors in Colorado
Laws Limiting the Prescribing or Dispensing of Opioids
Lessons from the 2020 Election Cycle
Access to Treatment for Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder
Law and Policy Pathways to Addressing the Epidemic of Drug-Related Harm
Legal Interventions to Reduce Overdose Mortality: Naloxone Access Laws
Cross-Sector Approach to Removing Legal and Policy Barriers to Opioid Agonist Treatment
Harm Reduction Laws in the United States
Naloxone Prescription Mandates
Harm Reduction Laws in Idaho
Characteristics of Statewide Naloxone Distribution Mechanisms
Legality of Dispensing and Administering Expired Naloxone in Georgia
Legality of Dispensing and Administering Expired Naloxone in the District of Columbia
Legality of Dispensing and Administering Expired Naloxone in Colorado
Legality of Dispensing and Administering Expired Naloxone in Illinois
Legality of Dispensing Naloxone to Minors in Pennsylvania
Legality of Dispensing Naloxone to Minors in Maryland
Harm Reduction Policy in Practice
Legal Interventions to Increase Access to Naloxone in Colorado
Explore more sub-topics related to Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction
Spotlight
Removal of “X-Waiver” Promises Increased and More Equitable Access to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
The Network for Public Health Law’s Harm Reduction Legal Project Receives Renewed Funding from Arnold Ventures
Ensuring Access to Clean Needles Can Save Lives, but Legal Barriers Persist
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Harm Reduction Legal Project
The United States remains in the grip of an unprecedented epidemic of drug-related harm. In 2017, over 70,000 Americans were killed by drug overdose, surpassing the number lost at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis. Infections related to use of shared syringes have increased alongside the surge in opioid overdose deaths, with several states experiencing recent injection-related HIV outbreaks. Hepatitis C infections, which overwhelmingly result from use of shared syringes, have increased every year for more than a decade. Simultaneously, injection-related endocarditis has been increasing nationwide. Many of these deaths and infections are preventable via increased access to evidence-based harm reduction measures such as naloxone distribution, syringe access programs, and access to evidence-based substance use disorder treatment. Yet due to lack of understanding and stigma related to substance use disorder, many harm reduction services are often hindered by laws and policies that reflect an outdated, punitive-focused approach to drugs and individuals who use them.
The Network’s Harm Reduction Legal Project provides guidance and consultation to governmental and nongovernmental organizations as well as impacted individuals to assist them in navigating the often extremely confusing maze of existing laws and regulations that hamper harm reduction initiatives.
The Project also provides non-partisan, evidence-based publications and training regarding the state of laws impacting individuals who use drugs, individuals in recovery, and their communities, as well as research regarding the impact of those laws.
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