Understanding Racial Inequities in the Implementation of Harm Reduction Initiatives

Abstract

Objectives. To elucidate a structurally oriented theoretical framework that considers legacies of racism, trauma, and social exclusion and to interrogate the “unmet obligations” of the institutionalization of the harm reduction infrastructure to provide equitable protections to Black and Latinx people who use drugs (PWUD) in Maryland. Methods. In 2019, we conducted a rapid ethnographic assessment of and qualitative interviews with PWUD (n = 72) and stakeholders (n = 85) in 5 Maryland counties. We assessed PWUD’s experiences, service gaps in as well as barriers and facilitators to accessing services, and the potential to expand harm reduction programs. Results. The unmet obligations we found included enforcement and punitive governance of syringes, naloxone, and other drug use equipment; racism and racialization, social exclusion, and legacies of trauma; and differential implications of harm reduction for populations experiencing racialized criminalization. Conclusions. The implementation of harm reduction policies are a first step, but assessment of structural dynamics are needed for diverse communities with unique histories. This research illuminates a key paradox: progressive policy is implemented, yet the overdose crisis escalates in communities where various forms of racialized exclusions are firmly entrenched. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(S2):S173–S181. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306767 )