Despite all the nationalism in our country, veterans are too often seen as expendable. Drug use in the military is as common as any other aspect of society, obviously, but increased stigma and consequences pushes most to the shadows. Harm reduction for veterans is especially vital and luckily, the Department of Veterans Affairs is starting to finally recognize this, but there’s a lot of work to be done. On this episode, Narcotica hosts Aaron Ferguson and Troy Farah speak with Beth Dinges, a clinical pharmacist who’s been caring for Veterans for over 20 years. She’s the Harm Reduction Coordinator at the VA and helped launch VA’s first syringe program in 2017. She works directly with Veterans, prescribing medications for SUD and to treat Hepatitis and prevent HIV. Resources: • Expanding Harm Reduction Services and Implementation of Syringe Services Programs within Veterans Health Administration • Harm Reduction Veteran Engagement Board If you liked this episode, here are others you might enjoy: Episode 62: Policing Pleasure — The Intersection of Sex Work and Drug Use with Tamika Spellman and Caty Simon Episode 44: Reimagining Public Health and Racial Justice with Dr. Ricky Bluthenthal Episode 81: Harm Reduction Against the Prison-Industrial Complex Follow Narcotica on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and support us on Patreon. We just opened a shop where you can order Narcotica merch: narcocast.myshopify.com Help keep this podcast ad-free! Your support is appreciated! We’re on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher and more. Tell your friends about us! Rate us! And thanks for your support! Producers: Troy Farah, Aaron Ferguson Music: Glass Boy / Nomad1 Intro voice: Jenny Schaye The post Episode 93: Veterans’ Harm Reduction Battle with Beth Dinges appeared first on Narcotica.