Save Lives with Essential Supplies

Harm Reduction Sisters is a non-profit organization that provides harm reduction services to people who use drugs. We reduce overdose deaths, and in 2024 we want to double our impact by providing a full year of access to smoking supplies to 200 community members. 

Problem: The overdose crisis is a public health emergency. In our community, we see the devastating impact of this crisis. Overdose deaths have increased among St. Louis County residents since 2019, and we are in the middle of an HIV outbreak.

 In Minnesota, the Northeast ranks first for drug overdose mortality, according to recent data. 

Solution: Harm reduction is an evidence-based approach that saves lives and promotes health. We provide access to life-saving resources such as naloxone, syringe exchange programs, and overdose prevention education. In one peer-reviewed study, 34% of study participants reported that heroin pipe distribution had reduced their heroin injection frequency. Smoking also reduces the transmission of HIV and Hep C.  A person’s overall drug-related risk is lowered every time they choose to smoke instead of inject. 

We are committed to expanding access to these services in all of the counties we serve: Pine, St. Louis, Lake, Carlton, Pennington, Itasca, Koochiching, Beltrami, Mille Lacs, Crow Wing, Cook, and Cass. Providing smoking supplies to people who inject drugs leads to fewer overdoses and more opportunities for education.

We're asking for your support to help us continue our work. Your donation will help us reduce our overdose crisis. We want to double our reach in 2024 and serve over 200 people. 

Together, we can combat the overdose crisis and build a healthier, more inclusive society. Please donate today and help us save lives.

Thank you for your support!

Sources:

Minnesota Department of Health, St. Louis County Substance Use and Overdose Profile.

California Department of Public Health. (n.d.). Issue brief: Smoking supplies for harm reduction. ISSUE BRIEF: SMOKING SUPPLIES FOR HARM REDUCTION. Retrieved from https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DOA/Pages/OA_prev_sep.aspx

Harm Reduction Journal, Heroin pipe distribution to reduce high-risk drug consumption behaviors among people who use heroin: a pilot quasi-experimental study.

HIV Outbreak Response and Case Counts. https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/hiv/stats/hiv.html