On Wednesday, August 27th, the Maryland Alliance for Sensible Drug Policy hosted an evening that reminded us exactly why we do this work. Red Emma’s Bookstore and Café was packed for The Harm Reduction Gap: A Conversation with Sheila P. Vakharia, PhD. The event brought together advocates, students, clinicians, and community members to talk about what a truly compassionate and evidence-based approach to drug use could look like.

Dr. Vakharia, a nationally recognized expert and the Director of Research and Academic Engagement at the Drug Policy Alliance, has spent her career at the intersection of treatment, harm reduction, and policy. Her new book, The Harm Reduction Gap: Helping Individuals Left Behind by Conventional Drug Prevention and Abstinence-Only Treatment, challenges the myths and policies that have left millions of Americans without access to the tools they need to stay safe and thrive.

Over the course of the evening, Dr. Vakharia discussed the “gap,” the vast space between abstinence-based prevention programs and abstinence-only treatment systems where people who use drugs are left out of care entirely. She spoke about the racialized roots of the War on Drugs, how criminalization continues to undermine public health, and why harm reduction programs like syringe service programs and overdose prevention centers are essential parts of the continuum of care.

The conversation also touched on topics rarely addressed so openly, such as treatment trauma and the need to view addiction through the Drug, Set, and Setting model. This framework recognizes how biology, mindset, and environment all shape substance use.

The audience asked thoughtful and often personal questions, reflecting the hunger for change in our state. The energy in the room felt hopeful, a shared recognition that Maryland can and must do better.

For the Alliance, this event was more than a talk. It was part of our ongoing effort to shift the narrative, challenge stigma, and promote policies that put people over punishment.

If you believe in this work, we invite you to get involved. Join the Alliance or make a donation to help us build a Maryland where drug policy puts people first.