MKE Harm Reduction Collective

11/06/2025

Is Narcan actually “free”? Great analysis here.

We've probably all seen a post going around that says, “Narcan is free but insulin isn’t?”

Yes, affordable or free insulin should be the goal. Lives depend on it. No one’s saying otherwise.

But let’s stop pretending Narcan is “free.”

Narcan distribution is funded by settlement money from lawsuits against companies like Purdue Pharma—companies that profited from misleading marketing of OxyContin and fueled the opioid crisis.

So what people call “free Narcan” is actually paid for with money recovered from death and destruction. It’s not a gift. It’s a response to a nationwide crisis that’s taken hundreds of thousands of lives.

Narcan is emergency medicine. It reverses an opioid overdose in seconds. You don’t take it daily—you use it when someone is dying.

We hand it out because every life is worth saving, no matter how they got here.

So yes—let’s keep fighting for affordable insulin. But don’t use that fight to shame harm reduction.

One doesn’t have to come at the cost of the other.

💉 Insulin saves lives.
💊 Narcan saves lives.
❤️‍🩹 Compassion saves lives.

~ Shari
Mom of Travis (forever 24) ❤️
SHN Parent Ambassador

10/16/2025

We support DULF and the lifesaving work they are doing!

Activists from the Drug User Liberation Front (DULF) have been brought to court. In Vancouver, Canada, they distributed tested illegal drugs to people who use drugs— in the packaging shown in the photo. They are being charged with drug trafficking. The activists’ goal was to prevent overdose deaths by making checked drugs available.

Canada is in the midst of an overdose epidemic.

Since 2016, more than 50,000 people have died from drug overdoses in Canada. That’s roughly the equivalent of a small school class every single day. More deaths than from any other type of accident.

The primary driver of fatal overdoses is the spread of potent opioid drugs on the illegal market, such as fentanyl. These substances are now used not only to cut street he**in, but also other drugs—cocaine, methamphetamine. Many people die of an opioid overdose without ever intending to consume opioids.

The traditional, prohibition-based drug policy response is:
“Don’t do drugs, or you’ll die!”
But this message clearly isn’t working. People continue to use illegal drugs in large numbers despite all warnings. Not everyone wants to or is able to stop, and relapse rates are high. Moreover, regardless of what we think about drug use itself, the fact is that illegality creates the conditions in which unknown, toxic, poor-quality substances can circulate.

DULF activists were tired of watching their friends die from overdoses. They created a club whose members were exclusively long-term drug users. They purchased drugs on the dark web, then had them tested within a government-authorized drug checking program, and listed the test results on the packaging. They continuously monitored the effects among members and found that during the program, overdoses dropped dramatically and no one died—whereas since the police shut the club down, two people have already died from overdoses.

What do you think? Do they deserve to be prosecuted?

by Peter Sarosi

07/14/2025

Hi! You may have noticed we have changed our name to MKE Harm Reduction Collective! We did this a while ago, but we don't post as much on Facebook, so we recommend following us on our Instagram to stay up to date with what we are up to!

04/24/2025

Syringe Access Programs reduce infections like HIV and Hep C.
Syringe Access Programs reduce the presence of used needles in the community through disposal services.
Syringe Access Programs reduce risky drug use through education.
Simply put, Syringe Access Programs REDUCE HARM and SAVE LIVES!!!

Syringe Take Back Day is TOMORROW from 12-4PM at Sixteenth Street Prevention Center AND we will have free tacos and soda from Los Comales!!! Help us celebrate these amazing programs and the incredible people that work them!

03/26/2025

If you’re in the bay view area tomorrow, come say hi and get your harm reduction supplies! We will be set up outside Cactus Club starting at 6:30PM!

03/08/2025

We are right outside the blood drive! Jimmy and Mathew are excited to see you!

03/07/2025

MKE Overdose Prevention will be at the Anime Milwaukee Convention tomorrow from 9AM-2PM!!! Come say hi and get your harm reduction supplies!

02/27/2025

Have you checked out our Public Health Vending Machines recently? We have added new items, and everything is completely free! Huge thank you to Street Angels, Inc. for donating Hygiene Kits, Socks, Cold Weather Kits, and Period Products. We appreciate you!

Items in our Public Health Vending Machines:
✔️ Narcan
✔️ Fentanyl/Xylazine Test Strips
👌 Condoms
💊 Medication Destroyer Bags
🧦 Socks
🧤 Cold Weather Kits (hat, gloves, hand warmers)
✔️ Period Products (tampons & pads)
🧫 COVID-19/Flu A & B Test Kits
🔒 Gun Locks

Find a machine near you and take what you need—no questions asked. Your health and well being matter! 💙

Public Health Vending Machine Locations:
📍Southwest Suburban Health Department- West Allis Location
7120 W National Ave, West Allis, WI 53214

📍Community Medical Services
2814 S 108th St, West Allis, WI 53227

📍Greenfield Fire Station #92
4333 S 92nd St, Greenfield, WI 53228

📍Hayat Pharmacy
4931 S. 27th St., Greenfield, WI 53221

02/26/2025

We are SO excited to share we received a Civic Engagement Microgrant of just under $4000 from Research!America!!! This grant will help us achieve non-profit status and allow us to pursue our goal of starting a syringe access program and harm reduction resource center on the North Side of Milwaukee. We also have a few more events we will be at this upcoming month, including the Anime Milwaukee Convention and a Cactus Club concert—stay tuned for more deets and as always please feel free to reach out if you would like to collaborate!

01/30/2025

Hey y’all! MKE Overdose Prevention will be at Last Rites in Walker’s Point on Sunday, February 2nd to support Ash’s Celebration of Life. We will have harm reduction supplies to distribute such as Narcan and fentanyl/xylazine test strips for free!

01/17/2025

People practice harm reduction everyday to keep themselves safe. Wearing seatbelts and helmets, driving the speed limit, and exercising are everyday examples of harm reduction. To learn more about what harm reduction looks like in Wisconsin, visit https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/aoda/harm-reduction.htm