9th - Harm Reduction Coalition

9th
National Harm Reduction Conference
FROM PUBLIC HEALTH TO SOCIAL JUSTICE
Bernstein, Scott, Pivot Legal Society, Vancouver, British Columbia
scott@pivotlegal.org
The Legal Fight for Harm Reduction
The Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, Canada, is home to 4600+ injection drug users. In the 1990s, a dramatic rise of HIV,
hepatitis C, and overdose deaths saw the commitment to create the only legally sanctioned medically supervised injection
site in North America. In eight years of operation, Insite has become the most thoroughly studied medical facility in Canada,
producing dozens of empirical and social science studies. In 2008, the federal government sought to close Insite for ideological
reasons. Following a three-year legal battle ending in the Supreme Court of Canada, it was ordered that Insite must
be allowed to remain open. In a stunning legal ruling, the high court held that if evidence demonstrated that the health
services reduced harm to drug-addicted individuals, the state cannot interfere with their provision. This talk analyzes the
role of research in constitutional rights cases, using Insite as a case study. Exploring the quality and nature of the evidence
presented in this case, we analyze the introduction of scientific evidence into court proceedings and techniques by which
evidence-based policy can be imposed by a court of law. The Insite case is unique in the nature of evidence produced to support
a constitutional right to harm reduction. It serves as a profound teaching tool for legal advocates litigating the right to
harm-reduction services, and for scientists and researchers on the judicial treatment and reliance upon expert evidence in
constitutional lawsuits. The expert evidence produced in this case was critical for persuading the court to declare a legal
right to operate Insite, and served to trump non-evidence-based policy. As Canada explores other innovative ways to deal
with the harms of drug use, this court decision will become a model for introducing scientific evidence into rights determinations
on the path to harm reduction.
Scott heads up Pivot Legal Society’s Health and Drug Policy Campaign Scott received a Master of Science from the University
of Wisconsin in Environmental Studies and a law degree from the University of British Columbia. Scott has worked on several
notable public interest constitutional cases, including taking part in the InSite supervised injection site litigation that was before
the Supreme Court of Canada in 2011.
Berton Martinez, Joanna, Independent, Boston, MA
joannabertonmartinez@gmail.com
PSA Yay! Make a Public Service Announcement >> From Cell Phone to Internet
The purpose of a public service announcement is to persuade. The objective of a PSA is to, 1) raise awareness, and 2) change
public attitudes. THIS HAS HARM REDUCTION WRITTEN ALL OVER IT! The pleasure of a PSA is that you don’t have to pretend
to be unbiased, fair or objective. Make a PSA to make a point. Have an opinion and get creative. PSAs are short – anywhere
from 30 to 60 seconds – this means the message has to be clear and on point! This workshop will give an overview of
what makes a good PSA and will offer cost-saving suggestions on production, like using the camera in your phone or signing
up for the local cable access network or futzing around on your friend’s lap top. We will also talk about where to post the PSA
after it’s made because how are people going to do what you want them to if they don’t know you want them to do it WORD
Bonar, Erin, Addiction Research Center, Ann Arbor, MI
erinbona@med.umich.edu
Injection Drug Users’ Perceived Barriers to Using Self-Initiated Harm Reduction Strategies.
Injecting drug users (IDUs) engage in self-initiated harm reduction strategies inconsistently. To better understand IDUs’ use
of such strategies, and their perceived barriers to using specific strategies, we interviewed 90 IDUs recruited from needle
exchanges. Participants were asked about behaviors they use to reduce the risks of injecting and about perceived barriers to
using two specific harm reduction strategies (i.e., test shots and pre-injection skin cleaning) designed to reduce two health
outcomes (i.e., overdose and bacterial infections, respectively). Participants described using a range of risk reduction prac-
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