Pearl Evans

Thank you, Eddie. My name is Pearl Evans. I am a person of lived experience. I have been cleaning for the past seven years and I got involved in this work. Last year, I started having conversations with Eddie about harm reduction and what it looked like in Minnesota, the criminalization of Black folks. And I...

Thank you, Eddie. My name is Pearl Evans. I am a person of lived experience. I have been cleaning for the past seven years and I got involved in this work. Last year, I started having conversations with Eddie about harm reduction and what it looked like in Minnesota, the criminalization of Black folks. And I...

Currently work at the Minnesota Department of Health, but on this legislation, I served in the role as a community member. So I just wanted to put that out there that I am here today and all of my work on the Minnesota Harm Reduction Collaborative is through my role as a person of lived experience. And I am excited to be here and to provide some education and be part of this conversation with

Currently work at the Minnesota Department of Health, but on this legislation, I served in the role as a community member. So I just wanted to put that out there that I am here today and all of my work on the Minnesota Harm Reduction Collaborative is through my role as a person of lived experience. And I am excited to be here and to provide some education and be part of this conversation with

Everyone, thank you. I'll turn it back over to Dr. Rhonda. Sure.

Everyone, thank you. I'll turn it back over to Dr. Rhonda. Sure.

Sure, I can definitely provide some destigmatized language around the topics of substance use and addiction. Well, addiction, substance use disorder is a chronic treatable condition. Opioid use disorder is also a treatable medical condition. And substance use disorder is, a way to destigmatize the language of addiction.

Sure, I can definitely provide some destigmatized language around the topics of substance use and addiction. Well, addiction, substance use disorder is a chronic treatable condition. Opioid use disorder is also a treatable medical condition. And substance use disorder is, a way to destigmatize the language of addiction.

So how do we start using language that is non-stigmatizing when we're talking about addiction? So we use the term substance use disorder instead of addiction because addiction, it has stigma attached to it. And so the science has told us that using language Less stigmatizing language is helpful as we have conversations with folks about their current use.

So how do we start using language that is non-stigmatizing when we're talking about addiction? So we use the term substance use disorder instead of addiction because addiction, it has stigma attached to it. And so the science has told us that using language Less stigmatizing language is helpful as we have conversations with folks about their current use.

And it is also helpful for family and friends as they have knowledge on healthier terms to use as opposed to using addiction. Because addiction is stigmatized and it often makes folks who are currently in active use to feel less than.

And it is also helpful for family and friends as they have knowledge on healthier terms to use as opposed to using addiction. Because addiction is stigmatized and it often makes folks who are currently in active use to feel less than.

So we want folks to feel comfortable in having conversations with their family, community members or doctors about their use and how they can get help with their use. So as we're talking about opioid use disorder, opioid use disorder is referred to, classifies the use of any opiate. So that's Percocet, oxycodone, methadone, heroin, any opiate. Opioid.

So we want folks to feel comfortable in having conversations with their family, community members or doctors about their use and how they can get help with their use. So as we're talking about opioid use disorder, opioid use disorder is referred to, classifies the use of any opiate. So that's Percocet, oxycodone, methadone, heroin, any opiate. Opioid.

So it's referred to as a disorder instead of an addiction. So those are the destigmatizing phrases to use when having conversations about substance use disorder and opioid use disorder.

So it's referred to as a disorder instead of an addiction. So those are the destigmatizing phrases to use when having conversations about substance use disorder and opioid use disorder.

Thank you, Stan. So what this law does, I think I said it at the beginning, it allows syringe service programs to become legal. So before this law, individual syringe service programs did not have a legal definition. So now with the legal definition, they can operate in the state of Minnesota.

Thank you, Stan. So what this law does, I think I said it at the beginning, it allows syringe service programs to become legal. So before this law, individual syringe service programs did not have a legal definition. So now with the legal definition, they can operate in the state of Minnesota.

It also allows for a syringe service program staff to not be fearful in working at a syringe service program. And then it goes on a little further to It doesn't say how many syringes a person, it doesn't limit the number of syringes a person could access when they go into a pharmacy. So a person could go in and say they want, you know, 20 syringes.

It also allows for a syringe service program staff to not be fearful in working at a syringe service program. And then it goes on a little further to It doesn't say how many syringes a person, it doesn't limit the number of syringes a person could access when they go into a pharmacy. So a person could go in and say they want, you know, 20 syringes.