College organizes conference on harm reduction
Over 100 participants gathered at the Columbus Foundation in November for a two-day conference focused on harm reduction and substance use.
By Mollie Wolfe
The conference covered a wide range of important topics, including best practices and ways to build support for harm reduction programs. Community leaders from throughout Ohio joined national experts and boots-on-the-ground activists for panel sessions, group discussions and lectures.
“This was a great opportunity for individuals around our state to learn how to develop and implement a successful harm reduction program in their own communities,” says Jose Rodriguez, director of external relations and strategic initiatives at the College of Public Health. “We know harm reduction efforts save lives, but there is still a lot of education to be done.”
The college partnered with Equitas Health/Safe Point, Harm Reduction Ohio, AIDS United and the Harm Reduction Coalition to host the conference. Financial support came from the Susan J. and Terry T. Reid Foundation Fund of the Columbus Foundation; the Nord Family Foundation; and the AIDS Funding Collaborative of Cuyahoga County.
About The Ohio State University College of Public Health
The Ohio State University College of Public Health is a leader in educating students, creating new knowledge through research, and improving the livelihoods and well-being of people in Ohio and beyond. The College's divisions include biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health behavior and health promotion, and health services management and policy. It is ranked first in Ohio, and 26th among all colleges and programs of public health in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. Its specialty programs are also considered among the best in the country. The MHA program is ranked 5th, the epidemiology specialty is ranked 21st, the health policy and management specialty is ranked 22nd and the biostatistics specialty is ranked 23rd.