VICTORIES AND POLICIES
Legislation has always been one of HRAC’s top priorities. In order for harm reduction efforts to truly affect change, outdated laws that hamper harm reduction efforts must be amended or changed. As the leading harm reduction advocacy agency in Colorado, HRAC has passed 15 policy initiatives (ten statewide and five citywide) in the last thirteen years.
-2010: Clean Syringe Access Program Legislation (SB 189)
Action: Authorization for government agencies to approve clean syringe access program (SAP) to reduce the spread of blood-borne disease.
Impact: Unsafe injection can lead to the spread of viral hepatitis, HIV, other blood-borne pathogens as well as other serious health problems, such as skin infections, abscesses and endocarditis. The best way to reduce the risk of acquiring and transmitting disease through injection is by using sterile injection equipment for each injection. This behavior reduces the risk of infection and increases the prevention of outbreaks.
-2011: Denver City Council Changes Ordinance
Action: City ordinance changed to allow for the operation of a SAP.
Impact: Syringe access programs are proven and effective community-based prevention programs that can provide a range of services, including access to and disposal of sterile syringes and injection equipment, vaccination, testing, and linkage to infectious disease care and substance use treatment.
-2012: 911 Good Samaritan Law (SB 20)
Action: Creation of a safe haven provision within the state's criminal statutes for a person who reports in good faith an emergency drug or alcohol overdose event.
Impact: Persons who otherwise would be reluctant to report such an event due to a fear of criminal prosecution are empowered to do so without delay. Decreasing preventable deaths from the use of drugs and alcohol relies on receiving proper assistance in an appropriate timeframe.
-2012: Syringe Access Program
Action: Beginning February 8, 2012, the Harm Reduction Action Center started serving the needs of the Denver community by operating a SAP.
Impact: SAPs reach people who inject drugs, an often hidden and marginalized population. Decades of research has shown that comprehensive SAPs are safe, effective, cost-saving, do not increase illegal drug use or crime, and play an important role in reducing the transmission of viral hepatitis, HIV and other infections. Harm reductionists cultivate relationships that assist in alerting public health agencies about observed changes in drug use, new health risks, and spread of infectious diseases.
-2013: 3rd Party Administration of Naloxone (SB 14)
Action: A person acting in good faith to administer naloxone (Narcan) to another person whom the person believes to be suffering an opiate-related drug overdose event is immune from criminal prosecution and not liable for any civil damages for acts or omissions.
Impact: Drug overdose is the leading cause of unintentional death in Colorado. Opiate antagonists, such as Narcan, have been shown to be safe and effective at reducing overdose death. Naloxone won’t harm someone if they’re overdosing on drugs other than opioids, so it’s always best to use it if you think someone is overdosing.
-2013: Statewide Participant Exemption for Possession of Syringes (SB 208)
Action: Employees, volunteers, or participants in an approved SAP are exempt from drug paraphernalia statutes.
Impact: Syringe services are important for public safety. People who inject drugs may be less likely to carry used syringes to proper disposal sites if the risk of citation is present. HRAC participants have disposed of over 6,000,000 used syringes since 2012.
-2013: Denver City Council Approves Mobile Program
Action: Restrictions lifted that hinder individuals from interacting with syringe access programs.
Impact: Allows outreach workers to increase organizational reach around the city and exchange needles with users in the places where they spend their time. By investing in relationships, harm reductionists can be the entryway into which individuals begin engagement with public health services.
-2015: Standing Orders with Expansion to Naloxone (SB 53)
Action: A physician may prescribe or dispense an opiate antagonist to an individual at risk of experiencing an opiate-related drug overdose event; a family member, friend or other person in a position to assist in an overdose event; an employee or volunteer of a harm reduction organization; or a first responder.
Impact: Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids—including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications—when given in time. Carrying naloxone is no different than carrying an epinephrine auto-injector for someone with allergies. It simply provides an extra layer of protection for those at a higher risk for overdose.
-2015: Needle Stick Prevention (SB 116)
Action: Exemption from arrest or citation for possession of hypodermic needle or syringe with prior disclosure to a peace officer
Impact: Fear or hesitation to disclose syringe possession puts law enforcement officials and other emergency responders at risk. Prior disclosure protects peace officers from the negative effects of needle stick injuries from used syringes.
-2015: Syringe Disposal Kiosks
Action: In high drug traffic areas, installation of secure, contained, and accessible syringe and medication disposal sites.
Impact: Provides more opportunities for syringes to be disposed of properly to help eliminate the number of discarded syringes in parks, in the public right-of-way, and in other public spaces.
-2015: Naloxone Distribution Post-Incarceration
Action: Naloxone can be distributed to appropriate individuals upon release of 4 Metro-County jails.
Impact: The leading cause of death after release from prison is drug overdose, which is significantly higher for recently released individuals as compared to the general population. Naloxone quickly reverses an overdose by blocking the effects of opioids. It can restore normal breathing within 2 to 3 minutes in a person whose breath has slowed, or even stopped, as a result of opioid overdose.
-2016: Expansion of 911 Good Samaritan Law (HB 1390)
Action: An underage person is immune from criminal arrest and prosecution for illegal possession or consumption of ethyl alcohol or marijuana if they properly report the need for medical assistance and remain cooperative with medical assistance or law enforcement personnel on the scene.
Impact: Fear of police involvement is the most common reason for adolescents not to call 911 during a medical emergency. Good Samaritan laws hold the potential to save young lives when underage consumption leads to a life-threatening situation.
-2018: Denver City Council Ordinance for Overdose Prevention Center
Action: With accompanying statewide legislation, the city of Denver may operate an overdose prevention center (OPC).
Impact: OPC’s are legally sanctioned and supervised facilities designed to reduce health problems associated with drug use, including reducing the number of fatal overdoses. It is a public health approach to reducing overdose deaths and supporting people who use drugs. These facilities provide a space for people to consume pre-obtained drugs in a controlled setting under the supervision of trained staff with access to sterile equipment. Participants may also receive medical services, such as hepatitis C testing, naloxone, community supports, auricular acudetox treatments and referrals to health and social services, including drug treatment. OPC reduce the number of people consuming drugs in public and provide a safe space where people can receive an immediate intervention if an overdose occurs.
-2019: Expansion of Harm Reduction Services (SB 227)
Action: Schools can obtain a supply of naloxone.
Impact: In 2021, more than 1140 teens died from a drug overdose, with some occurring on school property. Proper reaction to an overdose event relies on emergency preparedness planning that includes proper medication being accessible in a limited amount of time. More than 30 school districts across Colorado now have naloxone to help respond to an overdose event.
-2020: Expansion of Harm Reduction Services (HB 1065)
Action: Immunity for a person who administers an opiate antagonist during an opiate-related drug overdose event.
Impact: Quick response to an opioid overdose, including administering naloxone, can prevent brain injury and death. With the right tools, bystanders can act to prevent overdose deaths. Anyone can carry naloxone, give it to someone experiencing an overdose, and potentially save a life.
-2023: Extension of 911 Good Samaritan Law (HB 1167)
Action: Immunity for persons who suffer, render aid to another or in good faith reports an emergency drug or alcohol overdose.
Impact: Encouraging individuals to report overdose events in a timely manner to a law enforcement officer, to the 911 system, or to a medical provider increases the chances of an overdose reversal. States with these laws are linked to lower rates of overdose deaths from opioids.