One strategy in Michigan’s fight against opioids is ‘harm reduction’ — the acknowledgement that just-say-no doesn’t always work. In Grand Rapids, one harm reduction program tests drugs, alerting the user of what’s in the sample. The program, Red Project, has found xylazine, also known as ‘tranq,’ and deadly additives in the local supply.
Dr. Gina Dahlem spoke with Bridge Michigan about the importance of evaluating programs like the Red Project to ensure effectiveness. Dr. Dahlem is co-director of the Institute’s Community Engagement Domain.