ACLU-WV and the Network for Public Health Law’s Harm Reduction Legal Project issued the following statement today:
An analysis of both state and local law has led our organizations to jointly conclude that SOAR is on sound legal footing in providing its much-needed services to the Charleston community. It is no secret that West Virginia has been devastated by the opioid crisis. Dialogue about public health issues is important, and it’s unfortunate that sensationalism over SOAR’s work has dominated the local conversation about harm reduction programs over the past week. What shouldn’t get lost in this conversation is that SOAR is the only program in Charleston that follows a “needs-based” model—an evidence-based approach supported by leading public health organizations and the model that the state’s own Department of Health and Human Resources in 2018 noted is “best at achieving the goal of reaching as close to 100 percent coverage as possible.” Harm reduction programs save lives, and we hope the City and its policymakers take the unique opportunity here to continue a conversation that will support more access and services for those affected by opioid addiction.
Prepared by:
Loree Stark, Legal Director, ACLU-WV
Corey Davis, JD, MSPH, EMT
Director, Harm Reduction Legal Project
Deputy Director, Southeast Region
Network for Public Health Law