ABOUT US
Students, grassroots leaders, and healthcare professionals united for change.
Who we are
The SOAR Initiative was founded in 2019 by a small group of students at The Ohio State University passionate about changing the public health landscape for people who use drugs. Over the past three years, our team has grown to include 13 part-time employees, including outreach workers, administrative staff, technology specialists and more. Our inclusive, welcoming team strives to represent the communities we serve by hiring people with lived experience and staff with diverse backgrounds.
In the news
The Lantern | January 19th, 2021
Ohio State Students Launch App To Reduce Opioid Overdoses
Nine Ohio State students have created an app to help Franklin County combat the opioid epidemic.
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Filter | January 28th, 2021
Ohio Students Launch Harm Reduction and “Bad Batch” Alerts App
A student-led nonprofit in Columbus, Ohio, has created a smartphone app that helps community members report “bad batches” of drugs and shares information on harm reduction resources in the area.
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Filter | April 14th, 2022
In Ohio, Harm Reductionists Break Into the Nightlife Scene
As Ohio overdose deaths continue to climb steeply, harm reduction workers around the state are putting naloxone and fentanyl test strips (FTS) in critical drug consumption spaces: bars and nightclubs.
Read MoreWhat We Stand For
Mission: Build up powerful, healthy communities of people who use drugs by implementing innovative harm reduction strategies that advance connection through technology and advocating for policies that promote a safe supply.
Vision: End the harmful, racist, and discriminatory War on Drugs and build a world where all people who use drugs can achieve health, safety, happiness, and bodily autonomy.