Op-ed sparks conversation after falsely blaming harm reduction strategies for overdose deaths

Other posts repeated the myth that harm reduction programs “enable” drug use.

This past week, an op-ed alleged that the government’s harm reduction strategies have “produced more harm, not less.” In response, some posts falsely claimed that harm reduction programs provide illicit drugs for people with substance use disorder. Plus, an X post about a van providing harm reduction services led to a wave of false claims that these services “enable” drug use.

In response, public health communicators may explain how harm reduction programs work, reiterate that harm reduction services prevent overdose deaths, and explain that these programs help people with substance use disorder seek treatment when they are ready.

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What’s trending nationally in conversations about opioids

On October 16, two former top officials at the Department of Health and Human Services published an op-ed on Fox News claiming that the current administration’s harm reduction strategies have “produced more harm, not less.” They wrote that despite a recent decline in overdose deaths, the death toll of the opioid crisis remains high. The authors blamed harm reduction programs for these deaths, claiming that they promote “acceptance of a drug-using lifestyle.” The authors also wrote that harm reduction programs must be replaced with prevention, education, and treatment efforts in order to adequately address the opioid crisis. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shared the article on X, stating, “Agreed. To end the opioid crisis we need common sense solutions not ‘harm reduction.’” His post received approximately 214,000 views, 5,500 likes, 940 reposts, and 350 comments as of October 23. Comments expressed mixed opinions. Some agreed with the op-ed and falsely claimed that harm reduction programs provide people with illicit drugs. Others shared support for harm reduction. One read, “Harm reduction is incredibly helpful for managing addiction, especially opioid addiction. Nothing is perfect, and there are downsides…but harm reduction saves lives.”

On October 19, an X post alleged that a harm reduction van from Multnomah County, Oregon, was giving out “free meth pipes and needles.” The post received approximately 18,700 views, 700 likes, 200 reposts, and 120 comments as of October 23. Most comments expressed distrust in harm reduction, referring to harm reduction workers as “the same as drug dealers.”

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Recommendations for public health professionals

Each week, the Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. These helpful tips can be used when creating content, updating web and FAQ pages, and developing strategy for messaging about opioids.

Debate about the effectiveness of harm reduction programs provides an opportunity to recirculate information about how harm reduction works. Messaging may emphasize that harm reduction programs have been shown to prevent overdose deaths and help people with substance use disorder lead healthier lives. Additional messaging may explain that experts attribute the recent decline in overdose deaths to the availability of naloxone, a harm reduction tool that reverses opioid overdoses.

Some harm reduction programs, like syringe services programs, may provide tools for safer drug use that reduce the harmful impacts of using drugs—such as the risk of contracting and spreading infectious diseases—and prevent fatal overdoses, which allows people to seek treatment when they are ready. SSPs provide a wide range of services, including infectious disease testing and treatment, vaccinations, and referrals to care, and research shows that they do not increase drug use or crime. In fact, new users of SSPs are five times more likely to enter drug treatment programs and three times more likely to stop using drugs than those who do not use SSPs. SSPs have also been shown to prevent the spread of diseases like HIV and hepatitis C and reduce syringe litter in the communities they serve. Sharing information about local harm reduction programs is recommended.