Thanks to Senate Bill 208 March is now Sobriety Awareness Month in Alaska.  Read more from the Alaska Legislator.  Sobriety Awareness Month serves an opportunity to celebrate healthy lifestyles, support those in recovery and those who choose not to use drugs or alcohol. Problematic substance use increases the risk for many health problems. People under the influence of drugs or alcohol are at higher risk for getting HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis. They may forget to use condoms because they're high on the drugs. Substance use and misuse also puts people at higher risk for injuries (for example, car crashes), violence, and overdose, to name a few. The U.S. and Alaska have seen dramatic increases in prescription opioid use as well as other opioid drug use. ANTHC wanted to do something about it. Read on to learn more!

ANTHC's Substance Abuse and HIV/STD Prevention Programs work together to address the rise of opioid use and other problematic substance use through the Harm Reduction Initiative.  Harm reduction is best practice for providing health care and social services for underserved populations. Harm reduction at ANTHC means  STD, HIV and Hep C testing, distributing free safe injection supplies, take home Narcan® or Naloxone programs, supplying free condoms, safe medicine disposal (drug deactivation bags), safe needle disposal and distribution, provider and community education and training about harm reduction, to mention a few!  We are excited to provide individuals and communities with resources to prevent harms associated with substance use. Learn how you could request these resources from IKM.