Harm Reduction

By Tara Tran

Content Warning: Illicit drug usage, death, overdose

Recently, The Parks Foundation’s Rosewood office has become a host for harm reduction supplies in collaboration with Wake Up Nevada. This means that you can come to the Rosewood Nature Center, look at our beautiful birds and educational displays (which you should do anyways) and pick up Narcan and fentanyl and xylazine test strips for free. While for those unfamiliar with harm reduction approaches, the casual nature of providing supplies for safer drug use may seem alarming. However, harm reduction is a life saving medical practice that makes our community safer for everyone.

The last decade has shown a harrowing rise in overdose related deaths nationwide with a clear primary culprit. Fentanyl is a “Schedule II controlled substance that is similar to morphine but about 100 times more potent”. While Fentanyl can be prescribed in medical settings, its presence has risen on the illicit drug market both used on its own and mixed into any number of other drugs, often without the knowledge of the consumer.  Due to its potency, prevalence and difficulty to measure, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have been cited as being responsible for the doubling of overdose deaths in the last decade.  Many of the victims of fentanyl overdose have consumed the drug unintentionally, as dealers will mix it into other illicit substances, often in lethal amounts (though it’s important to note that the risk of accidental fentanyl exposure through skin contact is extremely low). While these statistics are overwhelming and tragic, harm reduction as a rising approach to this crisis has been a source of hope for many. Harm reduction is an evidence based series of practices that prioritizes decreasing the dangers that substance abuse can cause. By offering judgement and condition free medical supplies, harm reduction efforts build the trust necessary to help connect people to the services they need. Harm reduction is rooted in belief that addiction is a public health issue, not a moral failing. 

In Washoe County, fentanyl-related deaths had been on a steady rise since 2015, that is up until this past year.  Due to the efforts of harm reduction clinics and community organizations like Wake Up Nevada, 2024 saw an 80% drop in fentanyl related deaths in our county compared to the previous year. Anne-Elizabeth Northan, executive director of Join Together Northern Nevada, believes this drop is largely due to a more widespread presence of Naloxone, an overdose prevention drug often distributed as Narcan, which is now available at TMPF offices. Naloxone can reverse a potentially fatal overdose; by having and knowing how to use it, you can save somebody’s life.

In addition to Narcan, TMPF is also hosting fentanyl and xylazine test strips. While fentanyl and its lethal effects have been felt in Reno for about a decade now, xylazine, commonly referred to as “tranq”, is a pet sedative that has become alarmingly ubiquitous in our area over the past 5 years. Like fentanyl, xylazine is added to other substances to multiply their effects and increases the rates of overdose related deaths. Its effects are truly terrifying, including skin ulcerations, respiratory depression and central nervous system depression. In 2022, xylazine led to 187 overdoses in Washoe County, a 112% increase from the year prior. Because it is mixed with other substances, users can come into contact with it without their knowledge. By providing xylazine and fentanyl test strips, we can help people make informed decisions about their usage and potentially prevent a fatal mistake. This is especially important because xylazine has no known antidote, meaning that Narcan will not work to reverse its effects. However xylazine and fentanyl are often found together, so in case of an antidote it is always worth it to administer Narcan. 

Addiction is a public health issue, but due to community efforts and harm reduction practices, overdose prevention is possible. TMPF is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of both our environment and our community. By encouraging our community members to carry and know how to use Naloxone, and providing test strips to anyone who wants them, we show our commitment to preventing opioid overdose and allowing everyone a chance at a healthy and full life.  So come visit the Rosewood Nature Center at 6800 Pembroke Drive! Check out our displays, take a walk around the Nature Center, and join us in promoting a healthier, safer community.

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About the Author

Tara Tran

Community Programs Educator

A proud Nevadan, Tara grew up in Las Vegas, but moved to Reno in 2015 to attend UNR. They graduated with a BA in Anthropology and Art and later spent 2 years working as archeological field technician. Inspired by their time spent in nature as a field tech, they’re now enthusiastic to share the beauty of the outdoors with their community through the Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation. You can often find them enjoying open spaces and making food, art and music with their friends.