International Harm Reduction Conference 2019

INTERNATIONAL HARM REDUCTION CONFERENCE 2019

Louise Vincent, MPH Executive Director, Urban Survivors Union

Porto, Portugal- Being asked to speak at the closing session of the International Harm Reduction Conference excited me. What an honor I thought, but what would I say. I get so nervous before I speak, and I knew I would be a nervous wreck. I also know from experience that it is not about me and my feelings. I was reminded of experience from many years ago, that speaking in groups is not about me and my ego. It is a responsibility. I am not speaking for me. I am speaking for all the people who are in jail. All the people who have died because of shit drug policy.

I had never been to an International Harm Reduction Conference. This conference housed 1200 activists from over 90 countries. I was amazed. Rui Moreira, the cities mayor began the conference by committing to opening a safe consumption space in Porto. I enjoyed the safe consumption space housed in the conference and became quite friendly with the staff in the space. I was even more taken with the people from all over the world sharing their drug policy experiences and realities. What an honor.

Portugal was an amazing place and old fishing village. I remember leaving the US and thinking about all of the people who are not with us anymore. All of the people who are dead, simply because US drug policy is backwards and we don’t seem to learn from our mistakes. SO many people won’t listen to other voices, to other countries, to another direction.

Around the world there has been a 60% increase in drug related deaths. I remember walking up the cobbled streets thinking about how grateful I truly was to be in a place where policy makers are actually trying to save lives. It was in fact possible fora country to pass legislation that puts the lives of people before all else and it works. It fucking works. This was a call to action for the world. We live in a world where only 1% of injection drug users actually receive harm reduction services. There is so much work to do ----So as I said to conference attendees, we must not stop. Not when we think we can’t go on anymore, not when we are tired. We must fight. We must stand with one another. Drug Users can and must organize.

Louise Vincent, MPH and Dr. Carl Hart at the 2019International Harm Reduction Conference