Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110620

Alexander H. Kral, PhD¹, Jennifer Lorvick, MPH¹, and Ricky N. Bluthenthal, PhD Bluthenthal². (1) Urban Health Studies, UCSF, 3180 18th Street, Suite 302, San Francisco, CA 94110, (2) RAND Health, 1776 Main Street, PO Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407, 310-393-0411 x6642, rickyb@rand.org

In the past two decades, morbidity and mortality associated with injection drug use in the U.S. have stemmed primarily from HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV), and overdoses. Despite medical and epidemiological evidence that harm reduction programs effectively prevent these health-related complications, the Federal government continues to make its policy and funding decisions based upon ideology rather than science. Regardless of the barriers and lack of support from the Federal government, harm reduction programs have thrived locally. Programs have proliferated locally partially because underground organizations have been willing and able to conduct their work without governmental sanction, but also because local governments have based their policy and funding decisions utilizing evidence-based data rather than simply ideology. Since the founding of the Urban Health Studies (UHS) two decades ago, its researchers have been at the forefront of contributing evidence-based data regarding harm reduction interventions. Data provided by UHS researchers helped influence local governmental decisions regarding all of the major harm reduction interventions currently implemented in the US. From bleach and teach in the mid-1980's (Contemporary Drug Problems, 1987), to syringe exchange in the 1990's (JAMA, 1994), and naloxone prescription to IDUs for overdose prevention in the current decade (J Urban Health, in press), UHS empirical data have been used to affect local policies and funding of harm reduction programs. It may be possible to move Federal policies on harm reduction programs once there is a critical mass of local governments able to support programs that have been proven effective scientifically.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. To understand how grass roots programs can thrive with the assistance of community-based research evidence that the programs are effective.
• 2. To gain knowledge of existing data supporting the effectiveness of harm reduction programs.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation