Polina Mosharova

Columbia University in the City of New York, USA

Abstract Title: Race, Space, and Harm Reduction: Unequal Access to Overdose Prevention Resources in New York City

Biography:

Polina Mosharova is a student at Columbia University studying the intersection of education and public health. Her research and activism focus on substance use and health equity, informed by direct work with incarcerated patients at Rikers Island and community-based overdose prevention initiatives in East Harlem.

Research Interest:

This presentation examines how racialized drug policy has shaped the spatial distribution and accessibility of harm reduction programs in New York City. Drawing from historical frameworks on the War on Drugs and spatialized racism, the project analyzes how structural inequities continue to influence who benefits from harm reduction education and resources. Using publicly available data from the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) and community-based insights from OnPoint NYC, I analyze disparities in access to naloxone, syringe services, and overdose prevention programs across the five boroughs. Early findings reveal that communities most affected by overdose deaths – predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods – are often the least resourced. This imbalance reflects enduring patterns of racial and geographic exclusion established through punitive drug policy and educational practices like D.A.R.E. The presentation argues for community-driven, culturally responsive harm reduction education as an alternative to abstinence-based frameworks, positioning schools and local organizations as potential sites for equity-oriented intervention.