Laura Guzman from the Harm Reduction Coalition

Coalition BuildingOverdose Prevention Strategies

Jun 24

Written By Guest User

A Change Agent Who Believes We Have an Opportunity to Build a Better Future

Laura Guzman

Senior Director of Capacity Building and Community Mobilization, Harm Reduction Coalition

The more challenging times become, the more Laura Guzman is inspired to lift up marginalized communities and help people who want to be drug free and those who are still using substances to be understood, loved and supported.

Growing up in Argentina during the Argentinian Military Junta (1973-1982), she says, “In spite of 30,000 people being killed or missing, my passion for freedom and loving others was ignited. No matter how much pain and trauma there is, I have resilience.”

“We need to listen to people and understand where there are intersections. We have an important moment to challenge racism and classism, and use our collective asks to increase access to treatment.”

For the past 25 years Guzman has brought that passion to save lives of people infected with HIV AIDS, Hepatitis C and people with opioid addiction and other substance use disorders. She works through the lens of harm reduction. As Senior Director of Capacity Building and Community Mobilization for the Harm Reduction Coalition, she believes that incarceration and punitive approaches have never worked. The harm reduction movement, on the other hand, minimizes stigma to increase access to treatment so people can recover.

She’s learned that taking a soft approach is the best way to bring people around. She believes that today’s terrifying convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, addiction, relapses and community protests offers a rare opportunity. “We need to listen to people and understand where there are intersections. We have an important moment to challenge racism and classism, and use our collective asks to increase access to treatment. When the system is broken, we have the opportunity to reimagine our future.”