Safer Where You Are: Overdose Prevention Beyond the Center

Overdose prevention centers offer something close to an ideal — supervision, sterile supplies, naloxone on hand, a space where no one has to rush or hide. But in NYC, there are only two, with limited hours, out of reach for many people, much of the time.

So what happens everywhere else? In a public restroom. In a shared apartment. Alone, at home.

This workshop starts inside an overdose prevention center, noticing what makes it feel safer — then asks what we can bring into the spaces people are actually using in. Through short narrative sketches and group discussion, we'll name what safety can look like, and work together to figure out what's possible to build, borrow, or adapt across everyday settings.

Together, we'll explore:

• What makes an overdose prevention center feel safer to use in
• How those same elements might be missing, or be present, in a public restroom, a shared living space, or when someone chooses to use alone
• Practical, community-level ways to close that gap: sharps containers and naloxone access, check-in practices among roommates, virtual spotting services and hotlines

As always, this is a space for learning with one another, not at one another — no expertise required, just curiosity and care.

Join us if you're a harm reduction community member, a health or social service professional, someone who uses drugs, or someone who cares about someone who does.