Empower Your Recovery Journey
Progressing Not Perfecting: A Path to Sustainable Change
Discover transformative strategies and resources to support your addiction recovery journey, focusing on personal growth and spiritual well-being.
What is Harm Reduction and Why Is It Important?
To access resources scroll down.
Harm reduction is a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at minimizing the negative health, social, and legal impacts of drug use. It recognizes that while abstinence is the safest approach, not everyone is ready or able to stop using drugs immediately. By focusing on reducing harm rather than solely promoting cessation, harm reduction acknowledges the dignity, autonomy, and human rights of people who use drugs.
Understanding Addiction Through Data
Over 20 million Americans struggle with addiction, yet only 10% receive treatment. Harm reduction strategies can significantly decrease overdose deaths and improve quality of life.
Million (16.7%) Americans (Aged 12 and Older) Battled a Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year. (American Addiction Centers, 2024)
Million (More Than 9% of Adults) Americans Are In Recovery From Some Form of Substance Use (Recovery Research Institute, 2024)
People Who Experience Addiction Eventually Recover. (NIDA,2020)
Key Resources for Harm Reduction
National Harm Reduction Coalition
Be a Catalyst for Love, Justice, Community and Connection.
Find Naloxone Near You
The Naloxone Finder is intended for people who use drugs to access naloxone in their community.
Find Syringes Near You
Find a local syringe access program using the map on the NASEN website.
Stay Informed Better to be Safe
About Xylazine/ Rompun
⭐⭐Scroll to the bottom to get the Free Wound Care Pamphlet and the above Xylazine Fact Sheet to download or print. (No email required.)⭐⭐
Xylazine
This is the Xylazine/Rompun Section, where you can get resources and information on Xylazine. Awareness is a step in the right direction! PLEASE Share!
Purchase Xylazine/Rompun Test Strips
Providers- Lochness Medical has Xylazine test strips available for purchase online now. As far as I can tell, tests are $3 a piece but only come in kits of 300.
Company Develops Test for Xylazine
This article is about how and who developed the new Xylazine testing strips.
Evaluation of Xylazine Test Strips for Drug-Taking Purposes
From the Philadelphia Department of Health. For those of you that are into the stats.
DEA Xylazine Warning
Click below to check out the DEA's most recent Xylazine warning.
FDA Restricts Unlawful Import of Xylazine
Read about what the FDA is doing to combat this nightmare drug and its illegal import into our country.
Xylazine Recognized as an 'Emerging Threat' by President
Check out this article about Xylazine being recognized as an emerging threat to our communities and our citizens from the Washington Post.
Xylazine and the Potential for Loss of Life and Limb
Not only can Xylazine take your life, but it can also take your limbs. No joke. Fr. Fr. Xylazine is not even close to sterile for human consumption, let alone injection. It causes fatal infections, of which I have lost three friends in the last 9 months to said infections. Please read this article before taking the plunge. Pun intended. Make sure you read the part about how a rotting limb smells.
Check Out My Post on Xylazine!
I have lost three people in the last 6 months to infections caused by this drug so I am doing everything I can to raise awareness in hopes of prevention.
💀Carfentanil💀
Danger Level (1-5 Min Risk to High)
💀💀💀💀💀
Facts About Carfentanil
- What is Carfentanil?
- Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid approximately 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine. Originally developed for use as an animal tranquilizer for large animals, it is not intended for human consumption.
- How is Carfentanil Used?
- Carfentanil is used legally in veterinary medicine to sedate large animals like elephants. However, when it appears on the street, it is often mixed with other drugs, including heroin or cocaine, making it extremely dangerous for humans.
- Risks of Carfentanil Exposure
- Even a minuscule amount of Carfentanil, as small as a grain of salt, can be fatal if ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin.
- Street Names
- Common street names for Carfentanil include “Serial Killer,” “Drop Dead,” “Gray Death,” and it may also be sold as heroin or fentanyl without users knowing.
- Narcan and Carfentanil Overdoses
- Naloxone (Narcan) may help reverse Carfentanil overdoses, but due to the drug’s potency, multiple doses are often required. However, Narcan’s effectiveness with Carfentanil is reduced because of its extreme potency.
- Regulations
- In the United States, Carfentanil is a Schedule II substance under the Controlled Substances Act. It’s illegal to possess or distribute without specific veterinary licensing.
- Emergency Response
- Handling Carfentanil requires extreme caution, and first responders use protective gear due to the risk of exposure through inhalation or skin contact.
Questions and Answers (Q&A)
- Q: Why is Carfentanil so dangerous?
- A: Carfentanil’s extreme potency makes even tiny amounts potentially fatal. It binds to opioid receptors much more tightly than other opioids, suppressing breathing at an accelerated rate.
- Q: How can I recognize Carfentanil?
- A: Carfentanil is generally a white or off-white powder, but it is impossible to distinguish by appearance alone. Often, it’s mixed with other drugs, so testing is the only way to confirm its presence.
- Q: What should I do if I suspect someone is overdosing on Carfentanil?
- A: Call emergency services immediately, administer Narcan if available, and provide rescue breathing until help arrives. Multiple doses of Narcan may be necessary.
- Q: Can I overdose from touching Carfentanil?
- A: Direct skin contact with Carfentanil is risky, though most harm comes from inhalation or ingestion. Protective measures, like gloves and masks, are recommended for those who may encounter it.
- Q: What is the safest way to test for Carfentanil?
- A: Fentanyl test strips are the best harm reduction tool available. However, they may not detect all synthetic opioids, including Carfentanil, in which case advanced lab testing is necessary.
Common Myths and Truths
- Myth: Carfentanil is only dangerous if ingested.
- Truth: Carfentanil can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled, making it hazardous even for people who simply handle it. Protective measures are essential.
- Myth: A single dose of Narcan will reverse a Carfentanil overdose.
- Truth: Carfentanil’s potency often requires multiple doses of Narcan for effective reversal, if at all. Quick administration and medical assistance are crucial.
- Myth: Carfentanil is used in pain management.
- Truth: Carfentanil is not approved for human pain management due to its high potency and the extreme risk it poses. It is only legally used for large-animal sedation.
- Myth: You can recognize Carfentanil by sight.
- Truth: Carfentanil is often mixed with other drugs and appears similar to other white powders, making it impossible to identify by sight alone. Testing is necessary to confirm its presence.
- Myth: Only people with a high tolerance for opioids are at risk of overdosing on Carfentanil.
- Truth: Carfentanil is so potent that it can cause a fatal overdose even in very small amounts, making it dangerous for anyone, regardless of tolerance levels.
True or False Section
- True or False: Carfentanil can cause overdoses at doses too small to see.
- True: The lethal dose for Carfentanil is so low that it may be invisible to the naked eye.
- True or False: Carfentanil is sometimes added to drugs without users’ knowledge.
- True: It is commonly cut into heroin and