Erie County’s Bridge Erie to Harm Reduction webinar – January 29, 2026.
Erie County Office of Harm Reduction- Local substance use and overdose data.
A review of local data and trends and a presentation from Drug Policy Alliance.
DPA- We are no longer at the height of mass incarceration, but the drug war remains a pervading force impacting individuals and entire communities. Systems like employment, housing, and education are widely recognized as building blocks of health, stability, and upward mobility; they offer connection, financial security, knowledge, and opportunity. Systems like public benefits and child welfare are purported to help families and communities. Yet drug war policies and practices have profoundly shaped these pillars of daily life—housing, employment, family policy, education, and public benefits—enacting extensive barriers that make health, financial security, and overall well-being harder to obtain. For people navigating addiction, harsh penalties within these systems can make recovery even harder when stability is essential. This session investigates how the war on drugs has metastasized into a broader apparatus spreading across people’s lives, with devastating consequences for individuals, families, and entire communities. Join us to learn about shaping policy responses that remove barriers, repair harm, and build trust-based infrastructure that meets the whole person’s needs—without fear, stigma, or coercion.
