Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction
The national opioid epidemic began with widespread addiction to, and misuse of prescription painkillers. More recently, illegal drugs such as heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl are responsible for a majority of fatal overdoses. As well, a growing number of states are legalizing marijuana, still considered an illicit drug at the federal level, for medical and adult recreational use. Law and policy can help or hinder harm reduction and overdose prevention measures.
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Resources
Harm Reduction Laws in Idaho
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Legal Requirements and Tools for Sharing Data with Police Departments to Prevent and Respond to Opioid Overdoses
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Regulation of Cannabis-Infused Edibles
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Legality of Dispensing and Administering Expired Naloxone in Georgia
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Legality of Dispensing and Administering Expired Naloxone in the District of Columbia
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Legality of Dispensing and Administering Expired Naloxone in Colorado
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Legality of Dispensing and Administering Expired Naloxone in Illinois
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Legality of Dispensing Naloxone to Minors in Pennsylvania
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Legality of Dispensing Naloxone to Minors in Maryland
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Harm Reduction Policy in Practice
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Opioid-related Public Health Emergency Declarations
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Key Public Health Initiatives: A Year in Review
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Spotlight
To Address Overdose, The U.S. Should Ramp Up Proven Interventions at Home, Not Performative Attacks Abroad.
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Paying People to Refrain from Drug Use Works. Recent Policy Changes Have Eased the Legal Barriers to this Promising Practice.
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Drug Checking is Effective: More States Should Stop Criminalizing It
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