Rebeca Calzada is a harm reduction advocate and co-founder of La Testería the first drug-checking program in the centre-north of Mexico and also part of Youth RISE's team. Her work focuses on women who use drugs and pleasurable experiences, YWPUD, young people who use opioids, young people and FSHR.

This innovative research was conducted by young people who use opioids and/or harm reduction practitioners from eight countries, including Canada, Uganda, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Portugal, Mexico, and the United States. The study centers on the well-being of young people who use opioids, aiming to address the unique challenges they face in the context of prohibitionist and punitive drug policies that obstacle harm reduction efforts.

Collaborators of this research, directly impacted by these drug policies, identified critical issues. The absence of a safe drug supply was highlighted as a key obstacle, contributing to preventable overdoses and increased harm. Furthermore, prohibitionist policies exacerbate stigma and discrimination within healthcare systems, state institutions, and society at large, undermining young people’s access to naloxone, safe consumption spaces, needle exchange programs, and other harm reduction and healthcare services. Political inaction worsens these conditions, with inadequate support and funding for harm reduction organizations limiting their ability to effectively meet the needs of young people who use opioids.

The research also addresses the mental health impact on harm reduction practitioners, many of whom face the trauma of witnessing violence and the deaths of young people who use opioids, including close friends and family members. Additionally, they face constant stress due to insufficient resources for providing services.

The study includes a section of recommendations that urges policymakers to shift from punitive approaches to supportive services, comprehensive drug education, youth-specific healthcare, and sustainable funding for harm reduction organizations. These recommendations emphasize the importance of involving young people in the design and delivery of harm reduction services to ensure that interventions are empathetic, relevant, and effective.

Led by those most affected, this research advocates for transformative, youth-driven approaches to opioid harm reduction that prioritize the rights, health, and safety of young people who use opioids and other drugs.