LOS ANGELES—Is abstinence the only way—or even the best way to manage drug use? How has syringe access availability improved in Southern California and is it reducing HIV infection rates? Can people with persistent and chronic drug use issues still lead healthy, happy lives? How can sex workers adopt safer and more positive practices in their work?

A diverse and influential group will gather to answer these questions and many more at the Southern California Harm Reduction Summit in Los Angeles, July 24 at the California Endowment Center for Health Communities. The conference is organized by the Los Angeles Harm Reduction Collaborative, with major sponsorship for the event provided by the Drug Policy Alliance and CRC Health Group. L.A. City Councilman Richard Alarcon is delivering the welcoming remarks and famed harm reduction icon Dr. Sharon Mitchell is delivering the keynote speech.

“Sex work and drug use are prevalent in Southern California, and they’re not going away any time soon,” said conference organizer Meghan Ralston, of the Drug Policy Alliance. “The unprecedented response to this sold-out conference underscores the tremendous interest and need in Southern California to implement life saving practices.”

In the past decade, the national harm reduction movement has grown significantly. Voters and legislators have enacted harm reduction policies all across the country in a variety of areas, ranging from over-the-counter access to syringes in pharmacies, to methadone treatment programs, to ‘Good Samaritan 911’protections that encourage people who witness an overdose to call for help without fear of arrest. Building on this momentum, over 300 drug policy experts, health care and drug treatment professionals, as well as family and friends of people who use drugs, will gather to discuss the future of harm reduction in Southern California.

Among the many topics to be addressed at the conference are:

• Harm Reduction – A range of pragmatic and compassionate public health policies designed to reduce the harmful consequences associated with drug use and other high risk activities will be discussed. One presentation will explore how to deliver services to homeless people who might not otherwise have contact with service providers. Another session will  look at appropriate punishment for people who commit crimes because of their substance abuse.
  
  
• Drugs –Drugs have been prevalent in society for thousands of years, despite efforts to contain or curtail them. Therefore, people who use drugs need access to information and services that can help them make informed choices in order to better protect their health and wellbeing. One presentation will describe how to negate, or avoid entirely, some of the harms associated with methamphetamine use. Another presentation will discuss a cutting edge treatment for heroin addiction called Ibogaine.
  
  
• Sex – Many sex workers in Los Angeles County are beginning to demand the same rights and respect afforded to all people who work for a living. One presentation will focus on how sex workers can adopt positive and safe strategies in their professional lives. Another presentation will discuss how to include a trauma-informed component to working non-judgmentally with active sex workers.

The Drug Policy Alliance is a major sponsor of the 2009 Southern California Harm Reduction Summit, along with the CRC Health Group. Safety Works, Total Access Group and Clean Needles Now are co-sponsoring the event.

Visit http://www.socalharmreduction.org to learn more about the summit.