100,000 dead in 12 months from overdoses. Each one a beloved child of our creator worthy of love, dignity and respect. Every life lost, a tragedy.

The overdose crisis is not new. It has been building for decades. Successful strategies have been implemented across the world to reduce deaths, improve health, stop the spread of deadly diseases and provide support for those who need it to build a healthy and stable life.

Tragically, we know that far too often the reason that people die from an overdose is because they have no one to sit with them in the midst of their pain. Others don’t have the resources or training to keep their friends and loved ones alive.

There has never been an overdose death in any of the over 120 overdose prevention centers run across the world. They are not just a beacon of safety and security for those who use drugs but also a place where the dignity of every human life is affirmed. Our values affirm and the evidence confirms that this is a critical path forward.

As people of faith we are called to respond with care before condemnation, compassion before judgment and to value the lives of all people regardless of if they use drugs. We support any steps anyone is ready to make to  take care of their own health and well being. Reducing harm and creating opportunity are far more powerful tools than ongoing punishment and incarceration.

We call on Attorney General Merrick Garland to remove the final legal barriers from Overdose Prevention Centers (OPCs) running in this country. We won’t end this crisis overnight but we can ensure that lives are saved and create more pathways to stability, health and flourishing for those who use drugs.

(This letter is a partnership between Faith in Harm Reduction and Clergy for a New Drug Policy.)