We work hard to bring you safer use supplies free and while vending machines historically accept money, ours don’t! Our belief in harm reduction is modeled after a liberatory practice, and we know that this and the grassroots/zero-barrier application is what makes us distinct from public health models.
We are in a landscape that prohibition and a racist drug war built. Seeking healthcare, safety, housing, refuge, and basic lifesaving medication hasn’t always been safe for PWUD due to stigma and criminalization. In a landscape of drug-induced homicide laws, a subjective and often baseless hierarchy of drugs where people justify the shaming or criminalization of some people over others, and substance use altogether as a moral failure - people have good reason not to seek out the things that others might see as easily accessible or just a phone call away.
Syringe service programs have been proven to work best when we give people what they need until we can see them again - not limiting the amount of supplies to only what they are able to bring us back. The transactional nature of a one-to-one exchange builds a fraught relationship between PWUD around a new currency, lending to a scarcity mindset that only pits people against people and increased health risks. N.I.C.E.’s 1st goal was to put naloxone at the touch of a button in neutral places in areas of high need, with 24/7 availability, and with every 24-48 hr restocking. This was not a small undertaking.
We here at N.I.C.E. really hope to provide a reliable stream of naloxone into the community to allow people to take what they need as we also focus on putting pressure on the overarching problem at hand - working towards abundance - the need for zero barrier access to survival, housing, and liberation for people who use drugs.
Nasal naloxone is hard to come by in these large amounts, but we have done such amazing work in the 11.5 months that we’ve been in operation. We have had so many in-kind donations from other harm reduction orgs and non-profits who see the value in the mutual aid and collaborative work that we do to fill the gaps of access here in Austin. People who use drugs reverse far more overdoses than law enforcement, even though police often have a large and steady stream of naloxone to their programs without question. Harm reduction orgs are resilient, resourceful, and while notoriously underfunded, we love this work because our lives depend on it. Thanks everyone for following along. Love y’all.
Harm reduction has a success record that prohibition cannot match. The government’s current strategy of trying to restrict the supply of opioids for non-medical use is not working. Attempting to reduce overdose deaths by doubling down on criminalization will not produce better results, it will only perpetuate more harm. Further, it isn’t enough to just stop people from dying, we need to go further- we need to dismantle stigma and promote well-being and flourishing. For further reading on harm reduction and a history around why people associate drugs with moral failure, read The Urge by Carl Erik Fisher or Drug Use for Grown Ups by Dr. Carl Hart.
Mental health matters every day, not just in May.
Checking in, setting boundaries, resting, and asking for help are all ways we care for ourselves and our community.
Care for yourself. Care for each other.
#harmreduction #mentalhealth #may #men #mymentalhealthmatters #maymentalhealthawarenessmonth #harmreductionishealthcare #harmreductionworks #harmreductionsaveslives #harmreductionislove #HarmReductionSaves #theniceproject
Harm reduction is a family affair. 🩷
Shout out to our favorite auntie and niece duo for volunteering side by side and leading with heart. Stacy and Kirsten, we appreciate all the time and care you pour into this work.
#harmreduction #harmreductionsaveslives #harmreductionishealthcare #harmreductionworks #HarmReductionSaves #harmreductionislove #volunteersmakeadifference #volunteerappreciation #theniceproject
Come learn about narcan/naloxone and how to help reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
It’ll be a free, outdoor event with a slideshow and Q&A
Open to the public.
We are so lucky to be in community with all these lovely folks, packing kits and doing our part to end overdose in Austin. To everyone who showed up at Cenote last night, your stories bring us closer together, and we all contribute something great to the cause. Not only did we pack well over 1,000 overdose reversal kits, but more than that, we connected, laughed, and learned from each other. @cenoteaustin , thanks for having us! Max, Daniel, Marley, and Caitlyn, thanks for being the best sidekicks we could ask for. What a great event!
Rescheduling = progress, not permission. A step toward decriminalization and a break from criminalizing cannabis use.
#decriminalization #decriminalizecannabis #cannabismedicinal #cannabis #harmreduction #harmreductionishealthcare #harmreductionworks #harmreductionislove #harmreductionsaveslives #HarmReductionSaves #theniceproject
A safer night isn’t about restriction it’s about intention how you choose to drink can protect your health your judgment and your overall wellbeing #harmreduction #harmreductionishealthcare #harmreductionworks #harmreductionsaveslives #harmreductionislove #harmredux #safe #drink #safedrinking
You cannot identify fentanyl by sight or smell. Harm reduction tools like test strips give people the information they need to reduce overdose risk.
#fent #fentanyl #fentanylawareness #fentanylteststrips #fentanyldangersarereal #narcan #narcansaveslives #harmreduction #harmreductionsaveslives #theniceproject
We are collaborating with @cenoteaustin to host another kit packing party! Come get together with us, grab some drinks, and help us out big time. We need people power to drive this work! You’re a big part of that.
