Newsletter
Why does it take a crisis for people in power to step up?
The federal government shutdown has hampered services that are critical to at-risk populations, leading to local officials investing in additional aid for those in need. It shouldn't take a crisis for these things to happen.
Opposition to methadone clinics is a deadly concession to Baltimore's NIMBYs
If NIMBYs have a problem with methadone clinics, they should be advocating for drug policy reforms that would make the life-saving medication easier to access.
Capitalizing on a crisis: Mark Conway's bid for Congress
Councilman Mark Conway has made an inherently flawed response to the overdose crisis a priority — and he's used it to propel his bid for U.S. Congress.
Baltimore is watching the consequences of prohibition unfold before its eyes
The Baltimore Police Department's enforcement of prohibitionist policies continues to get drug users killed. Yet city officials have mostly sat on their hands as the drug supply wreaks havoc on vulnerable communities.
Booze-free holidays and the normalization of harm reduction
It's Sober October, and what may seem like a silly holiday is actually a sign of the normalization of harm reduction. Whether it's periods of abstinence or simply cutting back, these campaigns indicate we're getting one step closer.
A deeper look into Baltimore's crackdown on its most vulnerable residents
As long as the city disregards the livelihoods of vulnerable residents while fueling drug-war policing and encampment sweeps, death will be the one constant in their communities. And that is unacceptable.
As compassion in Baltimore wavers, support harm reduction journalism
Harm reduction journalism is more important than ever as the media and city officials disregard the livelihoods of those who use drugs.
Harm reduction or drug war? Baltimore wants to have it both ways
Baltimore is reckoning with an unprecedented overdose crisis, but its leaders have failed to embrace harm reduction instead of punitive drug policy. Its reliance on drug-war policing is a recipe for disaster.
The Art of Relapse: Shame, Hopelessness and Suicidality
From the moment I used drugs, I knew I'd love them until I died. Yet I never thought I would weaponize them to escape my anguish through irreversible acts of desperation.
International Overdose Awareness Day is a day of remembrance — and a call to action
Tomorrow is not just about those who have died. It's also about those who are currently using in the face of an increasingly lethal drug supply, and what we can do to keep them alive.
New data on Baltimore's OD crisis underscores the absurdity of local response
New state data on Baltimore's drug supply and fatal overdoses provides the latest insight into the city's crisis. Deaths are on the decline, yet the cops have opted to crack down — and the drug supply continues to evolve.
Baltimore's windfall of restitution funds isn't as much as you think
Baltimore is slated to receive $580 million total in restitution funds after the city accepted an offer from the judge in the case against McKesson and AmerisourceBergen. That seems like a lot of money — until you put it in context.