iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Angela Welz @heartforward.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

The real crisis isn’t "fentanyl." It’s fear, stigma & misinformation. People who use substances deserve care, not judgement or constant attacks and punishment. It’s time to end the war on people and fight for truth, compassion, and real solutions. #HarmReduction #EndTheStigma #SupportDontPunish

173

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

Great overview of the long-term mental health ramifications of incarceration, even post-release. Yet more reasons why jailing people for personal use drug offenses contradicts the purported goal of reducing harm. #addiction #harmreduction #recoveryposse www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2021/05...

prisonpolicy.org

Research Roundup: Incarceration can cause lasting damage to mental health

Incarceration can trigger and worsen symptoms of mental illness — and those effects can last long after someone leaves the prison gates.

173

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network @correlationnet.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

What’s new in essential harm reduction services across Europe? We interviewed Iga Jeziorska, lead author of our latest report, to discuss key findings, emerging challenges, and the role of civil society in shaping better services. Read here: 🔗 buff.ly/3PU16gj #HarmReduction #MonitoringHREurope

021

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Harm Reduction Therapeutics @hrtherapeutics.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Harm reductionist and friend of HRT Van Asher took a moment to talk about how he sees HRT.🤍 We aim to be a people-over-profit organization every single day. After all, people need to be saved, not profits. Thanks for your words, Van. 💪

112

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Brown University School of Public Health @brownpublichealth.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

LISTEN NOW🎙️ Professor @alexmacmadu.bsky.social is originally from West Virginia, the epicenter of the US overdose epidemic. She arrived at Brown in 2010 and has been working to prevent drug-related harms ever since. #harmreductionsaveslives humans-in-public-health.captivate.fm/episode/rhod...

humans-in-public-health.captivate.fm

Rhode Island's Response to the Overdose Crisis - Humans in Public Health

This episode of Humans in Public Health features Professor Alex Macmadu, an epidemiologist who has spent her career studying the opioid and overdose cri...

053

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Drug Policy Facts @drugpolicyfacts.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

"The president’s budget calls for ending grants for 'harm reduction,' a strategy to prevent disease transmission and keep drug users alive that has become largely accepted by mainstream addiction treatment providers." www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/h... #DrugSky #DrugPolicy

nytimes.com

Trump’s Focus on Punishing Drug Dealers May Hurt Drug Users Trying to Quit

113

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse @ajdaajournal.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

#HarmReduction works!! New study highlights the SAFER program in Vancouver: 72% of participants reduced unregulated drug use after accessing pharmaceutical-grade fentanyl powder—showing promise in tackling the overdose crisis. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

New article published in AJDAA by Andrew Ivsins, Christy Sutherland, Thomas Kerr, &Mary Clare Kennedy: "Early experiences and impacts of a fentanyl powder safer supply program in Vancouver, Canada: a qualitative study"

234

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

The alternative to naloxone (Narcan) for a fentanyl overdose outside a healthcare facility - where almost all of them in this country occur - is death. Dead people don’t recover. Fentanyl overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans 18-44. Every single fentanyl overdose death is preventable.

21848307

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

𓉔𓅂𓃭𓃭𓅱 @burneraccount.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

48hills.org/2025/04/dors... a measure that seeks to undermine #harmreduction as a city policy and push “ #abstinence-only” approaches—despite strong testimony from some medical professionals who said the plan would do far more harm than good.

48hills.org

Dorsey measure that undermines harm reduction moves forward - 48 hills

'Nobody dies from harm reduction.' Yet, the measure passes 3-0.

013

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Sad Francisco @sadfrancisco.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

Matt Dorsey, an abstinence-only voice for conservatives who wish it was still the 1980s #sfpolitics #recovery #harmreduction #housingfirst

043

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Ontario Drug Policy Research Network @odprn.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

NEW ODPRN study finds that BOTH Safer Opioid Supply (SOS) & methadone improve health outcomes and play important complementary roles in responding to Canada’s drug toxicity crisis. odprn.ca/research/pub... #HarmReduction #SaferSupply

032

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Angela Welz @heartforward.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

We’re hearing dramatic claims about addiction & crime but many are plausible lies: “Safe supply = free street drugs.” “Fentanyl = dealer.” “Encampments = choice.” “Life sentences = solution.” These sound tough, but don’t solve anything. Evidence-based solutions do. #harmreduction #supportdontpunish

24324

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

THRIVE HIV @thrivehiv.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

As we continue to fill gaps in public health measures aimed at the drug poisoning crisis, the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research provides a Safer Bathroom Toolkit with practical resources to improve how we respond to overdoses in these settings. #harmreduction www.uvic.ca/research/cen...

uvic.ca

The Safer Bathroom Toolkit - University of Victoria

For questions about or feedback on this toolkit, email saferbathrooms@uvic.ca...

001

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Corey Ranger @nurseranger.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

Exciting news to share: I’m starting a new position as Research and Communications Intern (Volunteer) at @idpc.bsky.social. This is the last chapter in my pursuit of a masters degree; I’m so grateful for the opportunity and excited to learn. #drugsky

1112

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Harm Reduction Research Collaborative @hrrcpitt.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

HRRC's Dr. Raagini Jawa spoke to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette to discuss a new adulterant in the PA drug supply, #medetomidine. Read the full article here: www.post-gazette.com/news/health/... #harmreduction #xylazine #pittsburgh

001

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Dr. Carrie Anne Marshall @cannemarshall.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

Just released today - the next video in our series on the #BridgingTheTransitionFramework for #HomelessnessPrevention. This video focuses on the importance of #HarmReduction in housing and homelessness services. Share broadly in your networks! youtu.be/idYOQd2Ki20?...

youtu.be

Guiding Principles in Housing and Homelessness: Harm Reduction

YouTube video by Social Justice in Mental Health Research

034

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Angela Welz @heartforward.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

Our children didn’t die because they refused help or didn’t try; they died because of the toxic, unpredictable drug supply. All the treatment in the world can’t protect them from that if the supply remains poisoned. #harmreduction #regulatethestreetsupply

0108

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Vancouver Island University's Harm Reduction Alliance @viuhra.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

Especially now, it's important to think critically about what is fact and what is opinion. News outlets often include different voices, but that doesn't mean that one loud politician's opinion carries the same weight as a highly trained expert. For medical issues trust the medical experts. #drugsky

011

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

HRNA_AIIRM @hrna.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

By shifting away from punitive policies and aligning with a harm reduction approach and evidence-informed practices, a healthcare system that upholds all individuals' dignity, safety, and well-being regardless of their substance use status or professional roles can exist. #harmreduction #drugsky

Conclusion:
Existing evidence suggests that risks to healthcare professionals from secondary illicit drug exposure can be mitigated. Rigorous research and evaluations on exposure risks would bolster the current literature and inform decision makers. Punishing PWUD fails to address stigma, fails to mitigate safety risks, and is ultimately a barrier to accessing healthcare. Instead of focusing on criminalization and compounding surveillance measures, there is an urgent need to embrace evidence-informed policies that foster collective safety for patients and providers. By shifting away from punitive policies and aligning with a harm reduction approach and evidence-informed practices, a healthcare system that upholds all individuals' dignity, safety, and well-being regardless of their substance use status or professional roles can exist. Harm reduction is healthcare.

0128

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

HRNA_AIIRM @hrna.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

We offer recommendations that that are rooted in evidence, not moral panic over illicit fentanyl. We resist false dichotomies presented as policy options. See here for our full list of recommendations 👇

Our Recommendations:
Overdose prevention sites (OPS) within or adjacent to hospitals are crucial for providing a safe space for patients to inject and inhale drugs, reducing the risk of overdose death. Implementation of these sites offer several key benefits that include:

Our Recommendations:
• Providing a safe and supervised space for people to consume drugs to manage withdrawal symptoms while admitted to hospital
• Reducing safety risks through increased environmental and relational controls
• Allowing patients who use substances to remain in hospital, ensuring continued access to medical care and support services
• Reducing the need for over-surveillance by directly addressing patient needs
• Accommodating various methods of drug consumption, including injection and inhalation, addressing diverse needs
• Promoting a harm reduction approach that prioritizes the health and well-being of individuals who use drugs

Our Recommendations:
We also believe that PWUD and worker safety are not mutually exclusive. Staff have the right to a safe work environment, which is achievable through specific evidence-informed, person-centred strategies that include:

Our Recommendations:
• Providing sterile equipment to PWUD, either directly or through the implementation of harm reduction vending machines, and ensuring staff are trained to work with clients on safe methods of administration, in line with established harm reduction knowledge and evidence.
• Situating OPS in or adjacent to hospitals with the capacity to support inhalation. This would allow PWUD to consume their substances safely and decrease the need for consumption in common or public areas.
• Avoiding making healthcare workers de facto enforcers of public safety. This leads to moral distress and moral injury when enforcing probationary polices that are not patient-centred.

163

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Vancouver Island University's Harm Reduction Alliance @viuhra.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

We are looking forward to this upcoming event from @momsstoptheharm.bsky.social See you all there??? 😄 #nanaimo #drugsky #harmreduction #careisnotforced

053

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

cm 🍁 @cmcalgary.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

A well written comment from Syd Boa on a post the other day re: shutting down the safe consumption site at the Sheldon Chumir. Post: www.facebook.com/share/p/15ax... (Can't link directly to the comment sorry) #Alberta #abpoli #harmreduction

Screenshot of the comment, which reads:

The SCS isn’t in the wrong location - majority of people who are unhoused and use drugs remain downtown because that’s where all of the vital resources they utilize are located. The reason there is an increase of unhoused people and people who use drugs in the area is because 1. there is a severe lack of affordable and accessible housing and 2. It’s the only SCS in a city of over 1.6 million people and has only 6 booths.

Imagine if the city had one bar - what would that street look like? The solution is to fund and build SCS’s around the city; this would drastically decrease the traffic of site users hanging around the area of the site. Another solution is to increase funding to housing. If people had safe and private spaces to use drugs, they wouldn’t be forced to do so in public. People who are removed from this and have no ties to the housing and opioid crisis, whether is professionally or personally, would be shocked to see how incredibly difficult it is to secure stable housing.

Removing the SCS, which is a vital healthcare service, will increase the issues that community members are so concerned about, ie. crime, public drug use, needle debris.

People are not opposed to the SCS, they’re just uncomfortable seeing people suffer and would rather it be out of sight than to actually educate themselves and advocate for tangible, sustainable solutions.

612222

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Robert Carr Fund @robertcarrfund.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

Introducing Decriminalization Ladder: Stepping Stones for Policy Change - a practical tool co-developed by @robertcarrfund.bsky.social's grantees to support community-led advocacy. Dive into details of the RCF's CIRW 2024 Learning Resource: bit.ly/4imrVWU #CommunitiesFirst #HarmReduction

041

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Moms Stop The Harm @momsstoptheharm.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

It’s infuriating to see #harmreduction continually weaponized for political gain, especially when lives are at stake. @jyoti4mayor.bsky.social's request was to relocate & expand services to better serve the community, not shut them down. Yet, Premier Smith has chosen to selectively chosen to lie.

096

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

2 Speed LA @2speedla.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

USA followers, if you want to learn more about substance use or get involved with saving lives, give Kathleen a follow. She is the lead of USA based “Moms For All Paths to Recovery”. It is a hub for information & resources relevant to member audience. momsforallpaths.substack.com

momsforallpaths.substack.com

Moms For All Paths to Recovery (MAP) | Kathleen Cochran | Substack

A newsletter for parents whose family members or loved ones have experienced issues due to alcohol or drug use. Click to read Moms For All Paths to Recovery (MAP), by Kathleen Cochran, a Substack publ...

011

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Joey Scott @joeyneverjoe.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

New from me for the Appeal! Remember the “organized retail theft” panic? Unsurprisingly, the police used it to get more money. They’re buying thousands of license plate readers, facial recognition software, drones, and building real-time crime centers based on a myth. theappeal.org/shoplifting-...

theappeal.org

Cops Used the Shoplifting Panic to Buy Tons of New Equipment

The “shoplifting panic” myth let cops buy facial recognition software, drones, license plate readers, surveillance tech, and more.

1233147

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Aubrey Whelan @aubreywhelan.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

The Philly-area nonprofit CFSRE tests thousands of illicit drugs a year, searching for dangerous additives. They were one of the first to sound alarms on xylazine in 2020. Federal funding makes up a third of their budget. But they haven't gotten paid in two months. www.inquirer.com/health/cfsre...

inquirer.com

Amid a federal funding freeze, a Philly nonprofit that monitors the nation’s illicit drug supply is furloughing workers and falling behind on drug testing

The Center for Forensic Science Research and Education has a backlog of about 1,500 samples they would have otherwise tested by now, and three weeks ago it furloughed 12 staff members.

11914

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

karen ward @kwardvancouver.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

we could have public washrooms, community health centres in every neighbourhood, active transportation infrastructure, child care, summer kids programs in every park, tech recycling to address the digital divide, homes for all, we could prevent crime by addressing poverty robot sky cops tho

26621

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

I had a great time talking with 2 of the best people on social media - the most badass duo of @lglaucomflecken.bsky.social and @glaucomflecken.bsky.social - about why fighting misinformation still matters! And of course, fentanyl fentanyl fentanyl. Cause we are sadly not done hearing about fentanyl.

youtube.com

Fighting Fentanyl Myths with Dr. Ryan Marino

YouTube video by The Glaucomfleckens

625033

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

A Dave you know you know @notjustdave.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

This is another set of procurements that needs wider attention. #AbLeg #AbPoli

5128

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Corey Ranger @nurseranger.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

The unregulated drug supply is ever-evolving and unpredictable. The only thing we know for sure, is that it can and will get worse as long as we continue to invest in the war on drugs “When ‘tranq’ takes its toll” #cdnpoli #bcpoli www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/2c22f44...

theglobeandmail.com

How ‘tranq’ became a deadly, and increasingly common, addition to Canada’s illicit drug supply

Xylazine is for animals, but chances are it’s laced into the street drugs where you live – and it can cost users their memories, limbs and lives

196

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Euan Thomson @drugdatadecoded.ca · 24/03/2025

We already use forced withdrawal, also known as torture, on children. Successive governments, including NDP, have ignored for 20 years that whether it places kids at higher risk of death has not been measured. International evidence suggests it probably does. 2/ drugdatadecoded.ca/survival-of-...

drugdatadecoded.ca

Survival of Alberta children forced into drug withdrawal is not monitored

The Alberta government has yet to release its proposed Compassionate Intervention Act but indicated in 2023 that the Act would extend existing legislation for forced abstinence of children to adults. ...

1159

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Skoun Lebanon @skoun-lebanon.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

2/2 Check out #SANPUD_NPO pregnancy & substance use toolkit. This is a key tool to help health professionals support women who use drugs, promoting safer practices and better care. #HarmReduction #Toolkit #CND68

021

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Thomas D. Embree 🇨🇦 @thomasembree.me.dm.ap.brid.gy · 20/03/2025

An article I've written about the unfortunate occurrence of drug exceptionalism in some harm reduction circles, where drugs like marijuana or psychedelics are elevated while drugs like methamphetamine or crack cocaine are looked down upon. #HarmReduction #DrugPolicy #Health #Drugs #Opioids […]

me.dm

Original post on me.dm

033

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Nate Smiddy @narcannate.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Anyone interested in doing a story on the wrongful termination of 5 peer support workers? Message me. #harmreduction #peersupport

052

Reposted by Kathleen Cochran

Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 16/03/2025

(And, if none of that matters to you, cutting half of their $7B budget - much of which goes toward grants for local/regional mental health and addiction services - will certainly come at a price that is orders of magnitude more. These services not only save money, they generate additional value.)

2748