In January 2000, I attended a conference focused on heroin in Seattle, Washington.





Here's a description:

Heroin overdoses and overdose fatalities are steadily increasing in North Am erica and around the world. Many overdoses are preventable, often with simple and inexpensive interventions based upon scientific research, epidemiological and ethnographic insights, and common sense.

More then 400 participants attended the two day conference, which featured presentations by leading experts from around the world -- scholars, service providers, outreach workers and others who deal with and are affected by heroin overdoses, to discuss:

Risk factors and epidemiology of heroin overdose



Treatment modalities



Outreach and education



Naloxone distribution



The roles of researchers, emergency medical services, law enforcement, and families and friends of overdose victims

You read that correctly. This is what we were talking about in January of 2000.





It is now 18 years later. I am hear talking about the same things on a much larger scale. 29 year old me would find it hard to understand how 198 people could die of overdose deaths in one year. One of those was a woman I dated a few times. She was one of the most beautiful people I ever knew in my entire life. Such a warm and wonderful person gone far too soon. I didn't fully understand or even completely embrace harm reduction until I realized that 1. it had saved my life and 2. it wasn't in conflict with the idea of getting "clean" or "sober". A person could not get "clean" if they were dead. My ideas evolved over time. Here I am today.





I am not sure what the next 18 years are going to be like. While we have made strides in many states (North Carolina has 29 syringe exchanges yay) we are completely fucking up in other places. Rates of Hep C, HIV, and overdose deaths are going up in my own tri county Ohio/KY hometown and many other places. So fucking frustrating.





I really need something from you, readers. I need information. I need to know what you think would work for you to keep you safe. I need feedback on what goes on in your area. We need to build networks and those networks need information. I also want to strongly suggest seeding your own syringe exchanges. If you can "exchange" them, dispose of them properly. Get a prepaid card, buy a box of syringes from a diabetic supply site, sell a few to friends for a buck a piece to seed a new box, get a new box with that money and keep it going. Before you say "this should be free", it should be but if it can't be, you gotta start somewhere.





Get naloxone. Period. Stop fucking around and thinking it won't be you or your friends that OD.





Educate yourself on Hep C. Project Inform in SF has a great informational hotline here:

877-HELP-4-HEP (877-435-7443), Monday–Friday, 9am–7pm EST





18 YEARS AGO!





I love you and I want you to be safe.