John

As we step into 2025, we’re reflecting on the journey of the Public Health is Public Safety campaign — a movement born from urgency, compassion, and the relentless determination of people personally impacted by the War on Drugs.

Ring in the new year by RSVPing to our 2025 Justice Priorities Webinar and plug into federal and state-level work to end overdoses across America, Thursday, February 6th at 3pm PST/6pm EST.

The numbers speak for themselves: in 2023, the overdose crisis claimed over one hundred thousand lives across the United States. Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities were disproportionately affected¹, and overdose rates continue to rise. Despite this, many states have introduced bills doubling down on criminalization rather than investing in the public health solutions we so desperately need.

Recognizing the devastating toll of these policies, our team composed of individuals with lived experience — came together to turn the tide. In the summer of 2024, we launched an educational series² and a string of moving blogs from staff and Dream.Org members unpacking the history and consequences of the War on Drugs. This series culminated on August 31, with a national launch featuring experts from across the country who shared solutions grounded in care, equity, and evidence. During our launch we shared a moving tribute to those who we have lost due to an overdose.

The Public Health is Public Safety Campaign was born — a multi-year effort to stop harsh, punitive policies from passing into law while educating and enacting proactive laws to save lives. The campaign aims to shift us from a culture of criminalization to a community of CARE.

Can you join our upcoming call, where we'll be profiling seasoned and emerging formerly incarcerated leaders and their work to reform the system across the nation?

Since our launch, we’ve:

• Advocated for federal bills like the RESTORE Act to eliminate the national ban on SNAP benefits (food assistance) for individuals with drug convictions.
• Fought defensively against regressive bills while championing public health solutions, pushing for better healthcare for incarcerated individuals with substance use disorders.
• Elevated people who are directly affected by the overdose crisis and spread our shared message that Public Health is Public Safety in media outlets in states across the nation, signal boosting the solutions that they want to see.

In 2025, we’re doubling down on our commitment to prioritize public health as public safety on the state and federal levels. In addition to our critical work in DC, we’ll be working in states such as Kentucky, Arkansas, Wisconsin, New Mexico, and Arizona, where we’ll be focusing on…

• Strengthening Good Samaritan laws to save lives.
• Expanding Medicaid access for returning community members and increasing access to medications for opioid use disorders.
• Educating communities on overdose prevention and advocating for the equitable use of opioid settlement funds.
• And so much more, including working on Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) expansion and other transformative bills to address the overdose crisis and advance equitable policies.

RSVP to our 2025 Justice Priorities Webinar

In summary, we’re going to continue the fight for humane policies that value life — and against laws that further criminalize people who use/d drugs while lifting people impacted by the problem up at every stage.

In strength and solidarity,

Amanda Hall & The Dream.Org Team

P.S. You can further educate yourself on the impact of the overdose crisis and become familiar with the faces of those leading the fight for change with the resources we’ve created below, from webinar recordings to moving stories from staff and those in our network.

1. Hear from representatives of several Indigenous communities in America about the cost of drugs like fentanyl on Native people across the nation, and check out our other educational resources about the issue on our Youtube.
2. Read some of the inspiring stories on our site from our staff and members about their experiences with drugs, the legal system, and their journeys to where they are today.