Legalizing drug paraphernalia possession makes MN nat'l leader in harm reduction, advocates say
MINNEAPOLIS -- Starting Aug. 1, possessing drug paraphernalia will be legal in Minnesota, a move that advocates say will help people safely recover from addiction.
"What we have done here is we have created a circle of both giving paraphernalia and allowing people to come back to services without fear, so we can lower infection, so we can bring people to treatment," said Edward Krumpotich, a harm reduction advocate.
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The goal is for patients to get clean needles and supplies, establish relationships, stop disease, and eventually, recover.
Krumpotich himself said he was raised in a loving family but he was keeping a secret, which almost destroyed him.
"I was a gay man living in the closet. It was like my soul was being ripped out, 'cause I was living a lie," he said. "My drug of choice is methamphetamine."
He was once named the high school teacher of the year in Maryland, but meth eventually took everything from him. Like many, he traveled to Minnesota on his long road to recovery. He battled addiction in Minneapolis for about six years until a counselor changed his perspective and instead of stopping meth cold, he adjusted his use.
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"One of my biggest wins in my substance abuse journey was changing from injection to smoking. And when I went in that direction, I was right around the corner of finding my long-term recovery," Krumpotich added.
The harm reduction approach, Krumpotich said, helps meet people where they are at.
"It helps the community stay safe while also the individual stay safer," he said.
Drug overdoses are at a record high, as more than 1,200 people died of an overdose in Minnesota in 2021. The Centers for Disease Control says people who aquire clean needles are five times more likely to seek treatment. Krumpotich presented that fact to Minnesota legislators this past session.
"We are a leader now, in the nation. In the nation. In harm reduction," Krumpotich said. "We are lowering drug use, we are lowering crime, and we are keeping people safe."
Krumpotich is now safe and thriving with three jobs, a national platform, and a quest to reach new heights. As of Aug. 1, a handful of Minnesota clinics will be offering clean supplies.