To Address Overdose Epidemic, Maryland Lawmakers Must Pass Paraphernalia Decriminalization Bill 

BALTIMORE, MD––Today, amid continually record-breaking overdose deaths, 120 Maryland medical and public health professionals––including physicians, nurses, and social workers who work closely with and treat patients with substance use disorder––sent a letter to Senate President Bill Ferguson urging him to call a vote on H.B. 481, the Drug Paraphernalia Decriminalization bill. 

H.B. 481, sponsored by Delegates David Moon, Jon Cardin, and 24 others, would amend the classification of certain items used to ingest drugs, effectively decriminalizing the possession of items such as syringes. Decriminalizing paraphernalia is proven to reduce the risk of contracting a bloodborne illness such as HIV and does not increase drug use rates. 

“Senator Ferguson has until this Friday, April 1, to encourage the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee to move H.B. 481 forward with sponsor amendments and call for the third and final reading followed by a vote on the Senate floor. We have the 29 votes needed to pass this bill; all we need is for Senator Ferguson to call the vote. If this bill does not pass the Maryland General Assembly by this Friday, Governor Hogan will have until the session ends on Monday, April 11, at 11:59 p.m. to veto the bill, which will likely not allow legislators enough time to override the veto during session,” wrote the signers.

“This bill will help curb the growing numbers of people suffering in the shadows, dying from overdoses, and being harmed by preventable infections related to injecting drugs. Removing criminal penalties for paraphernalia for personal use increases legal access to sterile equipment which reduces the transmission of infectious diseases and risk of overdose, [saving] lives and money,” continued the signers. “This legislation will help ensure Marylanders continue to have access to life-saving services on their road to greater wellness and not be derailed by traumatizing arrests, police interactions, and jail time for possessing the tools they need.”

The full text of the petition can be found below and linked here. 

To: Senate President Bill Ferguson

On Thursday March 10, Maryland’s House passed HB481 to decriminalize paraphernalia, and soon this proposed policy will again be in your hands.

We are a group of concerned medical professionals and public health experts who care deeply about the health and wellbeing of all Maryland residents. Through our professional experience, we know how crucial decriminalizing paraphernalia is for the health and safety of people who use drugs.

We are urging you to bring HB481 for a Senate floor vote before April 1, 2022. We are confident that there are enough Senators ready and willing to both vote in favor of this essential piece of life-saving legislation and override a potential veto from Governor Hogan.

This bill will help curb the growing numbers of people suffering in the shadows, dying from overdoses, and being harmed by preventable infections related to injecting drugs.

Removing criminal penalties for paraphernalia for personal use increases legal access to sterile equipment which reduces the transmission of infectious diseases and risk of overdose. This in turn saves lives and money.

The science is clear.

• Every scientific and medical organization to study the issue has concluded that access to drug use tools, including sterile syringes, reduces the spread of HIV, hepatitis, other blood-borne diseases, and soft tissue and skin infections.
• Studies of Canadian programs to distribute safer smoking kits found they significantly reduced risky behaviors like supply sharing that spread MRSA, HIV, Hepatitis B and HCV.
• Access to sterile supplies is associated with increased treatment uptake. Programs that distribute these supplies provide a bridge to treatment, medical care, and other services for drug users. Furthermore, evidence has shown that when there is less fear of punishment or arrest by police, individuals feel safer accessing treatment services.

This legislation will help ensure Marylanders continue to have access to life-saving services on their road to greater wellness and not be derailed by traumatizing arrests, police interactions, and jail time for possessing the tools they need.

Thank you for your attention to this critical matter.

Anne Blake	St. Clair	Baltimore City	MD	RN, MSN
Meredith	Zoltick	Washington	DC	MSN/MPH, CRNP
Omeid	Heidari	Baltimore	MD	PhD, MPH, CRNP
Laura	Bartolomei-Hill	Baltimore	MD	LCSW-C
Ashish	Thakrar	Baltimore	MD	MD
Megan	Buresh	Baltimore	MD	MD
Kaity	Stewart	Washington	DC	CNM PMHNP-BC
Lee	Gilman	Baltimore	MD	CRNP
Jasleen	Salwan	Bethesda	MD	MD, MPH
Tracy	Agee	Baltimore	MD	RN, Nurse Practitioner
Elizabeth	Spradley	Baltimore	MD	RN
Natalie	Spicyn	Baltimore	MD	MD, MHS, AAHIVS
Nicole	Akparewa	Middle River	MD	RN, MSN/MPH
Emily	Bryson	Catonsville	MD
Nishant	Shah	Baltimore	MD	MD, MPH
Adrienne	Trustman	Baltimore	MD	MD
Fernando	Mena	Baltimore	MD	RN
Lore	Mb			MD
Jessica	Friedman	Baltimore	MD	MD
Mary	Degrezia	Halethorpe	MD	PhD, ACRN, CNE
Marik Moen	Moen	Baltimore	MD	PhD, MPH, RN
Amanda	Roesch	Baltimore	MD	CRNP
Jill	Crank	Baltimore	MD	CRNP, MSN/MPH
Laura	Garcia	Baltimore	MD	CRNP
Molly	Greenberg	Baltimore	MD	MPH, RN
Emilie	Casselle	Baltimore	MD	RN
Elizabeth	Galbrecht	Baltimore	MD	MSN, CRNP
Meredith	Kerr	Baltimore	MD	DNP, CRNP, FNP-C
Angela	Mason	Baltimore	MD	MPH, BSN, RN
Tyler	Gray	Baltimore	MD	MD
Michaela	Lindahl-Ackerman	Baltimore	MD	RN/MPH
Zofia	Kozak	Baltimore	MD	MD
Susannah	Reed-Mccullough	Greenbelt	MD	CRNP
Kevin	Klembczyk	Baltimore	MD	MD
Vira	David	Baltimore	MD	Master in Socio-Economic Development
Greg	Frailey	Baltimore	MD	MA
Molly	Greenberg	Baltimore	MD	MPH, RN
Emily	Comstock	Baltimore	MD	DNP, CRNP, ACRN
Rajani	Gudlavalleti	Baltimore	MD	MPP
Johanna	Galat	Baltimore	MD	LCSW-C
Shannon	Riley	Crofton	MD	RN
Rosita	Harris	Baltimore	MD	CMA
Max	Romano	Baltimore	MD	MD, MPH
Elizabeth	Spradley	Baltimore	MD	RN
Jana	Goins	Baltimore	MD	MHS
John	Dombrowski	Annapolis	DC	MD
Jennifer	Kirschner	Baltimore	MD	MSPH
Meredith	Johnston	Baltimore	MD	MD
Kirsten	Forseth	Baltimore	MD	MPH
Dillon	Mcmanus	Baltimore	MD	LMSW
John	Dombrowski	Annapolis	DC	MD
Casey	Lyons	Oklahoma City	OK	MPH
Sarah	Kattakuzhy	Laurel	MD	MD
Lydia	Santiago	Gwynn Oak	MD	LCSW-C, CAC-AD
Madeline	Jonz	Baltimore	MD	LMSW
Karen	Bisson	Dundalk	MD	RN
Courtney	Hunt	Baltimore	MD	RN
Lisa	Hoffmann	Baltimore	MD	RN, MPH
Katharine	Billipp	Baltimore	MD	CRNP
Iris	Leviner	Baltimore	MD	MD
Lawanda	Williams	Baltimore	MD	LCSW-C
Meredith	Johnston	Baltimore	MD	MD
Tolulope	Thomas	Baltimore	MD	RN
Lee	Gilman	Baltimore	MD	CRNP
Shawnta	Jackson	Laurel	MD	MPH
Jill	Crank	Baltimore	MD	CRNP, MSN/MPH
Becca	Corder	Baltimore	MD	MPH
Elizabeth	Bayer	Baltimore	MD	MSPH
Ashley	Charest	Baltimore	MD	MSPH
Anjana	Rao	Elkridge	MD	MHS
Katharine	Evans	Baltimore	MD	LMSW
Adrienne	Kilby	Baltimore	MD	LCSW-C
Mikela	Sheskier	Baltimore	MD	BA, ADT
Alison	Athey	Baltimore	MD	PhD
Jess	Sellner	Baltimore	MD	HT
Joshua	Chiappelli	Reisterstown	MD	MD
Valeria	Moore	Owings Mills	MD	MPH
Ametisse	Gover-Chamlou	Baltimore	MD	LMSW
Srishti	Roy	Baltimore	MD	Certified Peer Support Specialist
Kathleen	Ridgeway	Baltimore	MD	MSPH, PhD candidate
Heather	Kangas	Baltimore	MD	LCSW-C
Kate	Dunn	Baltimore	MD	RN
Crystal	Guengerich	Baltimore	MD	RN
Parth	Naik	Baltimore	MD	DPT
Sara	Omary	Baltimore	MD	RN
Laura	Norris	Baltimore	MD	PhD
Kymia	Khosrowani	Washington	DC	MD
Aaron	Rilling	Olney	MD	Dpt
Randy	Helton	Baltimore	MD	LMSW
Claire	Knezevic	Baltimore	MD	PhD, DABCC
Britt	Walsh	Baltimore	MD	LCSW-C, CPH
Caitlin	Wheeler	Baltimore	MD	RN
Leanne	Zhang	Baltimore	MD	MSPH
Ian	Bukowski	Baltimore	MD	RN
Amy	Hecht	Baltimore	MD	Medical assistant, counselor
Diane	Diane Horvath	Ellicott City	MD	MD MPH
Laketa	Dyson	Baltimore	MD	RN
Colleen	Christmas	Baltimore	MD	MD
Ren	Debrosse	Baltimore	MD	MS-2
Terry	Prochnow	Tall Timbers	MD	RN
Kathryn	League	Columbia	MD	LCSW-C
Moyatu	Moseray	Laurel	MD	CCHW
Clare	Donofrio	Baltimore	MD	MPH, LCSW-C
Chloe	Rice	Linthicum Heights	MD	Lcsw-c
Emily	Deichsel	Baltimore	MD	PhD
Tanvi	Avasthi	Baltimore	MD	RN, CNM, WHNP-BC
Melissa	Dunston	Baltimore	MD	RN
Danielle	Danso	Baltimore	MD	PharmD, RPh
Erica	Herdecker	Severna Park	MD	RN
Aislinn	Woody	Pasadena	MD	RN
Christine	Carlson	Ellicott City	MD	RN
Kelsey	Granger	Baltimore	MD	MHS
Gina	Coursey	Parkville	MD	MS
Sarah	Kennedy	Baltimore	MD	MPH
Yael	Ben-Chaim	Baltimore	MD	LMSW
Susan	Sherman	Baltimore	MD	PhD
Megan	Kenny	Baltimore	MD	MPP
Anna	Green	Baltimore	MD	PCA
Samantha	Kerr	Baltimore	MD	CPS
Jennifer	Andreasen	Dunkirk	MD	CPS

Resources:

New York Academy of Medicine. New York State Expanded Syringe Access Demonstration Program Evaluation. January 15, 2003.

National Institutes of Health Consensus Panel, Interventions to Prevent HIV Risk Behaviors (Kensington, MD: National Institutes of Health Consensus Program Information Center, February 1997).

P. Lurie, A.L. Reingold, B. Bowser (eds). The Public Health Impact of Needle Exchange Programs in the United States and Abroad: Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations (1993).

Maryland Board of Pharmacy News. Fall 2017.

Australian Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging. Return on Investment in Needle and Syringe Programs in Australia

Schackman, Bruce R., et al. The Lifetime Cost of Current Human Immunodeficiency Virus Care in the United States. Medical Care. 44 (11):990-997 (2006).

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Population and Public Health Program. Safer Crack Use Kit Distribution in the Winnipeg Health Region. October 2012

One month ago on May 26, 2021, Maryland Governor Hogan made yet another policy decision demonstrating his dedication to the racist war on drugs. On this day, he vetoed SB420 which would have decriminalized possession of paraphernalia for administration (aka personal drug use).  

In his official letter to Senate President Ferguson (link), Governor Hogan made exaggerated, inaccurate, harmful claims. Claims which stirred the fears that uphold our society’s implicit and explicit biases against people who use and/or sell drugs. 

Will we fight back? Of course.

Will we win? Absolutely.

As we know from decades of prior activism, it is necessary to take a pause for reflection, especially when hurt and tired. At BHRC, we have taken this past month to process our grief and regenerate power for the long haul. We have witnessed the love and the outrage from harm reduction advocates and allies across the state (and country) pouring in. As we enter the summer season, we are feeling a deeper sense of clarity on what to do next, and let me tell you, our power is strong! 

It is important to remember that our community’s social justice policy advocacy efforts convinced the majority of Maryland elected officials to vote in favor of paraphernalia decriminalization. In voting for the bill, Senate President Ferguson stated that the drug war needs to end. Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Chair Smith stated that Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition’s strong messaging (i.e. incessant calls and emails by you!) convinced him to support this policy.

SB420 was the only bill passed by our 2021 Maryland Legislature designed to significantly curb the epidemics of overdose and over-policing in communities targeted by the drug war. It passed during an historic virtual legislative session, only days after legislators made astounding strides in police reform. This is remarkable. Maryland’s harm reduction advocates — you — are truly amazing.

Now it is up to the 2022 Maryland Legislative to override this devastating decision early next year. We must ensure the State recognizes the will of the elected body and those who put these people in power. So, what do we have planned?

1. Service delivery: We will not stop providing high quality harm reduction services, including life-saving paraphernalia, via our community outreach programming and safer drug use supply distribution.
2. Policymaker engagement: We are planning our policy strategy with 2021 bill sponsors and legislative champions, Delegate David Moon and Senator Jill Carter. 
3. Public education: We are developing public education opportunities and tools to deepen collective understanding of decriminalization as one of the means of ending the racist war on drugs.
4. Community organizing: We are working with our partners via our organizing bodies — MHRAN and BRIDGES Coalition — and other social justice spaces, such as the People’s Commission to Decriminalize Maryland to keep gaining momentum.
5. Uniting across movements: We are standing in solidarity with advocates and communities also impacted by Governor Hogan’s post-session vetoes, such as life-saving immigration and parole reform legislation. We will continue to support these measures in the coming years. 

Join us this summer for exciting opportunities to engage in these activities and continue the fight to decriminalize paraphernalia in Maryland!

Monday, March 29, 2021

Proposed policy Criminal Law – Drug Paraphernalia for Administration – Decriminalization (House Bill 372 and Senate Bill 420) has the potential to become law this year, increasing public health and safety. Over the past week, the Maryland House of Delegates passed HB372 (91-39) and the Maryland Senate passed SB420 with amendments (31-16). Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition (BHRC) and our community is proud of the work towards decriminalization thus far, especially the efforts of bill champions Senator Jill Carter and Delegate David Moon.

If passed as written, House Bill 372 would: 1) redefine “controlled” paraphernalia to support public health and reduce drug war tactics that target drug users; 2) repeal existing portions of law that criminalize possession of paraphernalia for personal use; and, 3) reduce or eliminate penalty for possession of paraphernalia for delivery or sale. If passed as amended, Senate Bill 420 would not include #3 above, continuing to criminalize possession of paraphernalia.

BHRC does not agree with the amendments to SB420 and urges the Maryland legislature to move HB372 without amendments. We deeply value Senator Carter for working tirelessly for this policy, and understand the challenges posed by Senators Ready, Cassily, and Hough. However, the amendments to SB420 would allow for police involvement and prosecution of people carrying paraphernalia if said officers determine the supplies are for delivery, distribution, or sale. These amendments would continue to put the health and safety of our workers and our communities at risk.

Just last Thursday March 25, a participant of an authorized syringe service program in Baltimore City was arrested and jailed for attempting to bring items considered paraphernalia to a loved one in another county who needed these life-saving supplies. This SSP participant was, and continues to be, punished for trying to help someone achieve greater safety and serve public health goals. Regardless of whether or not the charges are dropped, this person has had their life turned upside down, spent multiple days risking exposure to COVID and not been able to attend to their loved ones. 

This story is too common in Maryland, and this is why we need to decriminalize possession of paraphernalia under any circumstance right now. If distribution, delivery, and sales of paraphernalia are not protected, our state’s public health is under threat.  

If the Senate Judicial Proceedings (JPR) Committee does not agree to the House version, members of JPR and the House Judiciary Committee will need to decide on a version of the bill in conference committee. This would further delay the process and clog the urgent agenda of these busy committees. 

Maryland must decriminalize paraphernalia now and ensure that, as Delegate David Moon says, “the syringe does not come with jail.” We are requesting that JPR support HB372 as written to ensure that the logic of the law is sound and that there are no major loopholes to re-criminalize people for carrying life-saving supplies. 

By Dave Fell

In mid-March of this year, the city of Oakland, CA partnered with Alameda County to provide assistance to unsheltered residents of the area. According to a post on the city’s website dated March 13th, this partnership managed to install 42 portable toilets and wash stations at 19 new encampments (not counting the additional 20 encampments already receiving health and hygiene services, pre-pandemic). (1)

At the same time, the neighboring city of Berkeley, CA set up at least 20 hand washing stations at parks, libraries, and homeless encampments around the city. According to Deputy City Manager Paul Buddenhagen, the monthly cost for the stations is roughly $2,000. The city even created a virtual map for constituents showing the locations of the hygiene resources. (2, 3)

In Baltimore, however, the response of leadership was much less urgent. In April, The Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services (MOHS) posted a list of items it needed help procuring, and at the top of that list was “mobile hand washing stations” so that unhoused or intermittently housed folks can stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic by regularly and thoroughly washing their hands and bodies. This is when I fired off that first email, beginning a long and frustrating correspondence with a small, underfunded, and understaffed city agency.

The short version is that I linked MOHS up with a close friend who manages a hardware store in the city, and as a team we decided on and ordered (on the city’s dime) a number of “camp showers” to be put up in strategic locations throughout Baltimore. The plan was that MOHS, with assistance from the Department of Public Works (DPW), would install and maintain these camp showers. 

Very simply, a camp shower is a (somewhat) strong vinyl bag that holds 5 gallons of water. Attached is a hose and a little showerhead with an on/off switch. Just affix it a tree branch or a street sign, provide some soap, and there you have it: a DIY hand washing station. (It should be noted that the pre-fab style of wash station that you may have seen at Artscape or your favorite EDM festival were either out of stock or seriously price-gouged, ruling out that option).

Mission accomplished! The city’s got it from here, right? 

(pause for uproarious laughter)

No, the city don’t got it. 

Remember, if you want to derail a simple, inexpensive action aimed at helping the unhoused population of Baltimore, just insert a bureaucrat into the process! A mere four days after MOHS paid for and picked up the camp showers from my friend’s hardware store, I was told that a “consultant” had been hired to inspect the way MOHS operates. 

This “consultant” did little more than kick the can down the road and waste time by requiring a proposal for the hand washing station project that would then have to be supported by every member of City Council! They claimed to have received a lot of push back on this idea and wanted to “make sure that resources are provided appropriately with the full support of all agencies and communities involved.” 

Ok, so let me understand–you want unhoused Baltimoreans (who are already at the converging point of multiple systemic crises) to wait patiently while people who have homes, running water, soap, income, and food spend weeks deciding whether the homeless will be allowed to wash their hands during the deadliest public health pandemic in our lifetime? A pandemic in which one of the strongest lines of defense is HAND WASHING?

We ended up clawing back the camp showers from MOHS, and installed and maintained a few ourselves (with some inspiring results), but ultimately this was not even close to a permanent solution, and as a loosely affiliated group of activists, we didn’t have coffers of money to fund something more robust, so the project fizzled.

Now that October has come and the COVID-19 pandemic is still in full swing, I can’t help but remember what Mayor Jack Young told the Baltimore Sun all the way back on May 5th:

“We’re going to always take care of our homeless population, no matter what.” (4)

He was responding to questions about why on earth there was a major leadership and staff shake up at MOHS just as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to grip Baltimore.

Mayor Young is straight up lying, because there has been grassroots energy advocating for public hygiene resources since March and absolutely nothing has been done by the City of Baltimore to make this common sense solution a reality. In fact, more effort was put into blocking the project!

It was a no-brainer for Oakland and Berkeley, because in those places real, substantial homeless outreach is not unprecedented like it is here. Every resident of Baltimore deserves health, dignity, and protection from death, disease, and despair. 

But for now, we will build our own (stronger, more permanent) hand washing stations. We will install them and we will stand next to them and make a hell of a lot of noise until city leaders recognize that THIS IS THEIR JOB! 

References

1. https://www.oaklandca.gov/resources/covid-19-support-for-unsheltered-residents
2. https://www.berkeleyside.com/2020/03/13/berkeley-sets-up-22-hand-washing-stations-to-help-the-homeless-and-others-from-getting-coronavirus
3. https://berkeley.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=715bb83772db4b85b64c44fc5dbce21f&extent=-122.3410,37.8350,-122.2143,37.8973
4. https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-homeless-services-shake-up-20200505-6tiozav2sfcwvom7vtc6qwvf5e-story.html

By Smitha Mahesh, with Rajani Gudlavalleti

Content Warning: Islamophobia, sexism, racism

As usual, I am scrolling through Twitter, to get the latest tea on celebrities and politicians and refresh my soul with a feed filled with daily pictures of big fluffy bunnies, corgis, and pandas. 

But of course, my joyous vibe came to a halt when I came across this: 

My first reaction was one of confusion. Then it transformed into disgust and ultimately into anger. To clarify and emphasize, I am a South Asian Hindu who does not wear face coverings for religious purposes — and I am deeply hurt and offended by this image, primarily in solidarity with I my fellow Muslim friends (especially women and femmes) who wear niqabs, hijabs, burquas, or any form of covering of their face. Everyone has the right to religious freedom and deserves the  choice to wear any other forms of religious or cultural covering on their face. 

I later find out that this tweet has been made by a bot and has since been removed. Unfortunately, the screenshot of the tweet made its way through other platforms of social media. But, alas I sat alone with my feelings, truly frustrated at viewing this tweet and not having any idea of who to talk about this — until Rajani spoke up. 

Rajani, a fellow Indian American woman, was angrily startled when she suddenly came across this image scrolling down her feed; but her lack of surprise was possibly more difficult for her to bear. Rajani is very familiar with the racial profiling, targeting, and community violence that has occured in the name of the same sentiments expressed in this image. In September 2001, she was a high school sophomore in California when the planes hit the twin towers in New York City. 

My entire life shifted from the moment those planes hit those buildings. I was 16 years old. A child from an immigrant family that was struggling to find stability amidst financial, health and emotional strains. A child confused at the racially charged conflation of Hinduism (my family’s religion), Sikhism, and Islam. Confused at my survival-mode desire to distance myself from these conflations. My deeply angry desire to take down all racist Islamaphobes. Mostly, I was confused at the feminist white femme friends who wanted to help “liberate” me. Honestly, it took me a good decade or so before I truly saw the horror of that manifestation of white feminism.

When Rajani brought up the offensive tweet and how it impacted her, I realized this is beyond two  women/femmes from Hindu families feeling frustrated by  ongoing Islamophobia. This is an example of White Feminism. 

White Feminism excludes Black, Brown and Trans women and femmes from conversations around our collective liberation. But how exactly does this work? White feminism on the surface does support forms of liberation and choice, but it abstains from supporting any form of agency. Whether that be the agency of sex workers to charge sexual performs/work that looks like sex, or the agency to cover your body as you wish. But why, you ask? Because White Feminism is, well, White: it excludes Black voices, Brown voices, Trans voices, or any voice from a racial/ethnic group that is not White. For instance, White feminism wholeheartedly supports freeing the nipple, but abstains from supporting women having the choice to wear hijabs, burqa, or any form of face covering, even if that choice is rooted in honoring cultural heritage. 

This mentality is demonstrated even on a larger level: policy. European governments, such as Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, and the Netherlands,  have systematically banned face coverings and yet they are allowing face masks during COVID19. Policy makers in these governments manipulate “women’s equality” to uphold their Islamophobia; framing full-face veils as a symbol of oppression of women as well as a threat to national security. In Hong Kong, authorities imposed a blanket ban on wearing face masks in protest. The collective mindset that criminalizes face masks  has led to a disproportionate restriction of rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. As we continue bracing through the COVID-19 pandemic, governments should recognize the racism and Islamophobia behind these types of policies. 

As a movement rooted in public health and social justice, Harm Reduction must explore and actively work to dismantle the -isms that create barriers to health, safety, justice and dignity for all people. Publicly providing and encouraging people to adorn Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), especially face coverings, may be met with similar racist and Islamaphobic sentiments. What will you do in that moment, harm reduction fam? How will you respond? How will you act in solidarity with Muslim women and femmes?

This conversation has not started here, nor does it end here. Below are some resources to read, digest, and discuss to continue this dialogue with your communities: 

• These Racist Memes Say Coronavirus Masks Will Lead to Burqas 
• Coronavirus face masks can’t hide France’s Islamophobia 
• Is a face mask used to fight COVID-19 really that different from a niqab?