National Harm Reduction Coalition

Panelists at a 2010 Harm Reduction Coalition conference

The National Harm Reduction Coalition, previously known as the Harm Reduction Coalition, is an American advocacy organization for people who use drugs.^[1]

History

The NHRC emerged from a Harm Reduction Working Group (HRWG) organized in 1993 by Francie and Stephanie Comer, Dan Bigg, George Clark (head of San Francisco's needle exchange), and Dave Purchase.^[2] Many of the attendees at the first meeting had worked with (or founded) needle exchanges in different cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia and New York.^[3] Many were current or former injection drug users.^[4] Several of the HRWG's original participants had also been involved with ACT UP.^[5]

The HRC itself was founded in San Francisco in 1994, moving to New York City soon after.^[6] 700 people attended the HRC's first conference, held in Oakland in 1996.^[7] The HRC was initially led by George Clark.^[8] Allan Clear was the NHRC's executive director from 1995 until 2016, when he left to take a job in the New York State government.^[9][6] Clear was replaced by Monique Tula, formerly Vice President of Programs at AIDS United.^[10][11] Laura Guzman, an Argentinian-American lawyer who had worked for the HRC since 1995, became the executive director in 2023.^[12][13][14]

In 2020 the HRC rebranded as the National Harm Reduction Coalition and revamped its website.^[15]

References

1. Chavez, Janelle (2023-03-29). "Congress moves to make xylazine a controlled substance". CNN. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
2. Szalavitz 153
3. Szalavitz 153-55
4. Szalavitz 153
5. Szalavitz 153-54
6. Richardson, Lynda (3 March 2004). "PUBLIC LIVES; from Punk Rock and Drugs to the War on H.I.V." The New York Times.
7. Szalavitz 186
8. "Two Decades of Positive Change: A Brief History of the Harm Reduction Coalition - Comer Family Foundation (En-US)".
9. "Allan Clear is New York State Director of Drug User Health". Poz. 8 December 2015.
10. "Monique Tula, Vice President of Programs, to leave AIDS United". AIDS United. 2016-08-05. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
11. Szalavitz, Maia (2018-02-05). "Women Are Leading the Fight Against the War on Drugs". VICE. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
12. Wild, Elyse (2023-05-21). "Tribal Nations Turn to Harm Reduction in Battle Against Opioids". Native News Online. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
13. "Laura Guzman from the Harm Reduction Coalition". National Overdose Prevention Network. 2020-06-24. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
14. Coalition, National Harm Reduction (2023-08-31). "NHRC OFFICIALLY NAMES LAURA GUZMAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR". National Harm Reduction Coalition. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
15. Straube, Trent (2020-09-03). "Here's What the Future of Harm Reduction Looks Like". POZ. Retrieved 2024-10-11.

Sources

• Szalavitz, Maia. Undoing Drugs: How Harm Reduction is Changing the Future of Drugs and Addiction. Hachette Books. 2022.

External links

• Official site