Harm Reduction Briefing — Aug 20, 2026
NEWSLETTER UPDATE
Launching a twice-weekly version of the newsletter! Switch cadence here. Also releasing a search engine for looking through historical content!
Disclaimer: this software uses AI to aggregate and filter content. Please double-check sources before putting info to action.
📰 News Media
- 💊 [Aurora, Illinois] Kane County Health Department to host training on medication that reverses opioid overdoses - chicagotribune.com
- 🧪 [Naperville, IL] Naperville council mulls ban on retail sale of kratom products - chicagotribune.com
- 🧪 [International] How Drug Checking Services Around the World Navigate Prohibition - talkingdrugs.org
- 🤝 [National] Revisiting William White – Sponsor, Recovery Coach, Addiction Counselor: - recoveryreview.blog
- 🌿 [National] As More Americans Turn to Cannabis, Problem Use Is Increasing - nytimes.com
🗣️ Social Pulse
Lived/Living Experience
- No posts found today.
Innovation
- 🧑 Our work was highlighted in the Harm Reduction Journal! We facilitated working groups into young sex workers who use drugs, and young people who use opioids in participatory and collaborative processes. You can read... - @YouthRISE on X
- 🤖 “OpioidCM’s model works by analyzing de-identified pharmacy and health-plan claims for patterns it considers signs of “rising risk,” such as frequent opioid refills, increasing doses, overlapping prescriptions,... - @life_is_art___ on X
Opposition Views
🏙 City Updates
- No recent City Updates found.
📚 Academic Research
- 💉 A county-wide public health intervention to increase low-barrier, community-based naloxone access: Protocol for an implementation science evaluation (Preprint) - 2026-08-19 - doi.org
- 🚬 Digital twin frameworks for smoking and nicotine dependence: toward predictive and personalised smoking cessation - Egyptian Journal of Bronchology - 2026-08-14 - doi.org
- 💉 Justice Community Overdose Innovation Network (JCOIN) 1.0: Brixadi Versus Extended-Release Naltrexone Hub, Client Data, Maryland, 2020-2024 - ICPSR Data Holdings - 2026-08-18 - doi.org
⚖️ Law & Policy
Federal Agencies
City Ordinances
💸 Funding (Click to expand)
Current
- Deadline Approaching · 🚑 Office of National Drug Control Policy - Nonfatal Overdoses in Emergency Departments: Bridging Patient Characteristics, Biospecimen Toxicology, and Drug Supply Composition - Deadline: Aug 31, 2026
- 💊 Bureau of Justice Assistance - BJA FY 2026 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-Based Program - Deadline: Sep 24, 2026
Future
📣 Activism
Submit a Link
Click here to submit community content to the Harm Reduction Briefing
Featured Resource
DanceSafe explains at-home and laboratory drug checking, including what fentanyl test strips and reagent kits can and cannot tell you, with instructions and practical safety limitations.
Newsletter Improvements
August 18, 2026 (#e06cae1) - Fixing duplication in Activism section. Labeling which funding opportunities are new to the briefing. Patching bug featuring old social posts. Adding KevinMD to News sources. I love feedback and requests - [email protected]