}

Every human being has innate dignity, and as children of God our collective well-being is intertwined. People who use drugs are as fully human and multifaceted as those who don’t, but our society often reduces people who use drugs to their drug use. As we work to quell the opioid overdose crisis in Ohio, we affirm the dignity of all -- and reject any attempt to demean and marginalize our beloved neighbors. 

As Ohioans of faith, we commit to building authentic solidarity between people who use drugs and people who don’t. We commit to building healthier communities for everyone by embracing the principles of harm reduction in response to the systemic failure of the “war on drugs,” which is rooted in and perpetuates white supremacy. We commit to lifting people up when systems let them fall and intervening when systems would let people die. 

People who use drugs are capable and worthy. By stereotyping and infantilizing them, people in power have often cast people who use drugs as the enemy to reinforce their grip on power. We reject this racist, deadly ideology. We commit to building a community where we all are free, safe, healthy and respected.