Help Isn't Everywhere: Mapping Access to Harm Reduction Services

• In Event: Minimizing the Role of Law Enforcement in Addressing Drug Use and Mental Health Crises

Abstract

The United States has long addressed drug use through punitive policies that contribute to mass incarceration and racial disparities, rather than through public health or mental health frameworks. While the opioid crisis has prompted a shift toward harm reduction, critical services such as syringe exchanges, naloxone distribution, and housing programs remain unevenly distributed. Using a mixed methods approach, this project investigates the geographic disparities in harm reduction services across counties in the United States. Additionally, this project situates this work within the historical and social impacts of disparate access to harm reduction services. Through the use of a user-friendly platform that includes harm-reduction and related services across the United States, as well as combining this with geospatial techniques, this project identifies the gaps between existing resources, creating calls for policy change to prioritize public health, enhancing both public safety and well-being. Ultimately, the goal of this research is to create an accessible platform that can be used by individuals, communities, and policymakers.

Author

• Hannah Ridner, Indiana University Bloomington