Harm reduction was an integral part of moving HIV from a terminal illness steeped in stigma to a manageable chronic disease. Was v fun (and only mildly terrifying) to unpack current harm reduction backlash with STAT

Reminder that “time is brain” applies to overdose response as well as stroke response. Give breaths!

1/ Had the opportunity to shadow some humanitarian aid workers in Jacumba today. In April, a US District Court judge ruled that Border Patrol was violating the 1985 Flores agreement by failing to provide safe and sanitary facilities to migrant children.

Wish Bonta cared as much about preventable jail deaths in San Diego County.

More than 100K entirely preventable drug overdose deaths per year every year

Lol the question is should health insurance be the primary mechanism through which we create a social safety net or should we just create a social safety net

How does Juneteenth relate to drug policy? Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. & the joy & freedom of all Black people including those who use drugs. Yet, current drug policies harm Black communities. Ending the drug war is key to realizing Juneteenth's promise.

"One of the most disturbing elements of the Supreme Court’s decision in Grants Pass is its reliance on SF. At least 8 times in his decision for the right-wing majority, Justice Neal Gorsuch cited a brief filed by David Chiu & endorsed by London Breed" 48hills.org/2024/06/breed-…

Everyone: "Cheaper, low-barrier naloxone please!" Nobody: Expensive, untested, highdose antidotes 🚫 Indivior : Opvee 👃🏽💦 Purdue Pharma L.P. : Zurnai 🤖💉 Us: NOT WHAT WE ASKED FOR Pharma: 🙉🤑🖕🏾 Avg dose of naloxone is 1.6 over 17 years. Today's Zurnai announcement = trash

1/3: Research shows clearing homeless encampments without expert outreach, housing, and services can worsen homelessness. No policymaker aims to harm people, yet two weeks into the new CA Executive Order, these supports are lacking.

I took an opportunity to advocate against the continued criminalization of drug users to those who have the power to bring an end to the War on Drugs. It’s always hard to tell in political work whether you moved the needle at all - but we must keep this conversation at the front.

Overdose deaths are a policy failure. 8/31 is Overdose Awareness Day. Here are five health-based solutions elected officials must focus on to save lives. 🧵

On this Overdose Awareness Day all I have to say is that “awareness” can’t bring back the people I care about, and it feels perverse to keep asking for “awareness” when epidemic overdose deaths have dominated news for years. Be aware of our failure to do anything decent or right.

Instead of doubling efforts to keep the unsheltered population hydrated and cool in the heat, city of #SanDiego Homeless Resource Center closes due to heat. You can’t make this stuff up. They aren’t serious about helping people.

I will never stopped feeling shocked by HOW SICK someone living on the streets will get before they let us call an ambulance. Like, lactate of 7 sick and I’m not exaggerating. It doesn’t have to be this way. Please be kind to them in the ED. They *really* don’t want to be there.

Coercing people into drug treatment (not a new idea) has worse outcomes than doing nothing at all - more people literally end up overdosing and dying and fewer people end up getting off drugs. People who don’t know anything about treating substance use shouldn’t be mandating it.