With America's beloved celebration of colonialism in the rearview mirror and Christmas right around the corner, the holiday season is in full swing. And these can be difficult times for both former and active drug users.
When I first launched Mobtown Redux, I published a piece titled "Sober for the holidays," which detailed how the holiday season can be a trying time for those of us in abstinence-based recovery. Holiday celebrations are full of temptations, whether it be drugs or alcohol, and the season can also bring about a resurgence of trauma from times past. For many, these serve as triggers that create the perfect storm for a relapse.
That article is no longer online, but I stand by my point. On the other hand, as I've become more ingrained in the harm reduction movement, it's become evident that the article failed to acknowledge that sobriety isn't the only path forward for those who use substances — nor should it be.
Sobriety isn't for everyone, even though it's the best option for me. I've proven to myself too many times that if I ingest any substances whatsoever, my life becomes unmanageable and self-destructive behaviors are inevitable.
For those who actively use drugs, though, it must be said: You don't have to be sober for the holidays. But please use whatever substance you choose safely, whether it be alcohol, crack cocaine or fentanyl.
As winter approaches, times become more dangerous for drug users. Studies have shown that colder temperatures may increase the likelihood of fatal overdoses and, for those who are unhoused, the weather itself can be a death sentence.
Trauma may also resurface during this time of year, which can trigger riskier drug use. Paired with an increasingly unpredictable and lethal drug supply, proper precautions must be taken.
People of all backgrounds are preparing for the variety of holidays and freezing temperatures in the coming months. And with the sunshine becoming harder to find, it's easy to feel alone. But that's not the case.
There are many people who care deeply about those who use drugs in Baltimore, and they offer myriad services to keep them alive. Oftentimes, they bring years of lived experience that make them uniquely qualified for the job.
Last year, for example, Mobtown Redux and the Baltimore Beat published a profile piece on the Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition. The nonprofit provides naloxone, wound care supplies and sterile equipment to inject, smoke and snort drugs. Not only do their services decrease the likelihood of fatal overdoses, but they also help prevent the spread of diseases such as HIV.
They're just one of numerous entities, including Charm City Care Connection, the SPARC Center and Bmore POWER, that offer harm reduction resources to help people use safely.
If you're unaware of what's available, start with Mobtown Redux's list of addiction and drug use resources. The Baltimore City Health Department and the Mayor's Office of Homeless Services also offer their own list of resources for those in need.
Whether you're in abstinence-based recovery or actively use drugs, times such as these may be difficult. But taking proper precautions and utilizing available resources can ease those hardships — and often save one's life.
Read the latest Redux Newsletter: "The harm reduction movement is facing an uphill battle, but there is power in numbers"
Last week, nearly 2,000 harm reductionists from all over the world gathered in Detroit for the Reform Conference, an event dedicated to advancing a movement hellbent on saving the lives of those who use drugs.
The sea of people, reminiscent of a moshpit brimming with tattooed, drug-loving punks, converged at Huntington Place, a convention center along the Detroit River. Just across the body of water was Canada, which, just like the U.S., is witnessing an assault on compassionate care for drug users. For a moment, however, I felt a moment of respite from the chaos brought by the War on Drugs and its relentless grasp on communities in Baltimore and beyond. As I stood among the crowd, a powerful, euphoric sense of camaraderie came over me. It felt like home.
Read the full newsletter here.
Mobtown Redux's Overdose Data has been updated with the latest local, state and national data
There were 778 overdose deaths in Baltimore in 2024, a 25.4% decrease from the year prior, according to preliminary data.
In the 12-month period ending in September, Baltimore saw 536 deaths, a death rate of 91.5 per 100,000 people. Statewide, there were 1,296 deaths, a death rate of 21 per 100,000 people.
The data indicates that fatal overdoses continue to trend downward after years of climbing, though poor Black neighborhoods in West Baltimore continue to suffer the most.
Check out Mobtown Redux's Overdose Data Dashboard here.
Click here to learn more about harm reduction resources in the Baltimore area.
Filter: "DULF’s Constitutional Challenge to Compassion-Club Charges Begins"
As British Columbia’s overdose crisis escalated in the second half of the 2010s, Jeremy Kalicum was getting his first experience in harm reduction—first in Nanaimo, a city a couple of hours north of Victoria, then in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
“You’re just trying to do the best you can to respond, and saving people’s lives, but it’s like you’re trying to bail out a boat with a thimble,” Kalicum told the BC Supreme Court on November 24.
Kalicum was the first witness to take the stand, in a hearing set to determine whether recent drug convictions against himself and Eris Nyx, co-founders of the Drug User Liberation Front (DULF), should be thrown out.
Click here to read the full article.
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