Nab speaks with HuffPo on the Connection Between Drug Forumulations and the Recent HIV Outbreak in Indiana
A recent outbreak of HIV in Indiana has shed light on the changing risks associated with illicit use of prescription drugs. Since late-2014, there have been 27 confirmed and 10 suspected cases of HIV infection attributed to injection of Opana, an opioid pain reliever marketed by Endo Pharmaceuticals. So how does this latest outbreak relate to the 2012 change of Opana’s formulation? Read our very own Nab Dasgupta’s comments on the case from a harm reduction perspective, along with words from other experts working in the field: Prescription Drug Abuse Linked To Indiana HIV… Read More
StreetRx at the 2014 National Harm Reduction Conference
Mike and Nab recently joined a panel at the 2014 Nation Harm Reduction Conference in Baltimore, MD. Mike presented an intro to streetRx, focusing on its value as a ‘magnet content’ tool to share health and wellness information with people who use drugs.
Harm Reduction, Magnet Content, and the Future of Health Promotion
Meeting people who use drugs ‘where they’re at’ is a core principle in the practice of harm reduction. Programs are carefully designed to be culturally competent, respectful of dignity, and non-judgmental in their effort to reduce harms associated with drug use. One of the challenges facing the harm reduction community is that health promotion information often comes in the form of media that are health-specific, and that rely upon their audience’s interest and engagement in health-seeking behaviors.