Drug policy
DrugZen and DrugExperience exist inside a policy environment that criminalizes users, obstructs harm reduction, and treats overdose deaths as inevitable. We think that has to change.
Harm reduction is public health.
Decades of evidence, from syringe services to naloxone distribution to drug checking, show that harm reduction saves lives and cuts disease transmission. The SAMHSA definition is clear. The politics haven't caught up.
Decriminalize personal use.
Criminalizing possession pushes people away from testing, treatment, and honest conversations with doctors. Portugal's 20+ years of decriminalization is the largest natural experiment; it worked.
Good Samaritan laws, everywhere.
Fear of arrest kills people who could otherwise be saved by a 911 call. Most US states now have some form of Good Samaritan protection for overdose. Coverage is uneven; enforcement is worse.
Access to naloxone, everywhere.
Over-the-counter Narcan is a start. Standing orders, distribution through community programs, and training in schools and workplaces are the rest.
Drug checking, everywhere.
Fentanyl test strips and full-spectrum drug checking should be legal and accessible in every jurisdiction. See DanceSafe for a working model.
Both DrugZen and DrugExperience are on a path to become nonprofit organizations. Read more on the about page.