August 25, 2025: As a federally funded program, pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order on Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets, signed on July 24, 2025, ORN is no longer funding technical assistance for “harm reduction” activities. Further clarification on this statement is provided in a Dear Colleague letter issued by our funder SAMHSA on July 29, 2025. Our understanding of this new Executive Order and its impact on ORN technical assistance activities is that federal funds can no longer use the term “harm reduction” nor provide technical assistance supporting the use of pipes, syringes and/or needles used to inject illicit drugs, safer drug use, syringe exchange, safer smoking kits and/or other supplies facilitating or promoting drug use. As a result, any related ORN TA requests that have been in planning and those expected to occur in the near term as well as ORN partner organization activities will need to be revised or will not continue.
ORN Notice Re: Harm Reduction-Related Technical Assistance
