The Action Lab Receives $240,000 Grant from Elton John AIDS Foundation to Advance Harm Reduction Legal Protections

The Action Lab at Northeastern Law’s Center for Health Policy and Law has been awarded a $240,000 grant from the Elton John AIDS Foundation in support of its Advancing Harm Reduction through the Law project.

The Action Lab Receives $240,000 Grant from Elton John AIDS Foundation to Advance Harm Reduction Legal Protections

09.16.2025 — The Action Lab at Northeastern Law’s Center for Health Policy and Law has been awarded a $240,000 grant from the Elton John AIDS Foundation in support of its Advancing Harm Reduction through the Law (AHRLA) project. The one-year initiative —envisioned as phase one of a multi-year effort—will work to strengthen legal protections for harm reduction programs through comprehensive research, coalition building, education and strategic legal action.

The United States is experiencing an unprecedented drug overdose and addiction crisis. While evidence-based harm reduction programs—including syringe service programs (SSPs), overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND), drug checking services, and 911 Good Samaritan laws—have proven effective at saving lives and reducing costs, these interventions remain tragically underutilized. AHRLA is designed to close the gap between proven harm reduction strategies and the legal protections needed to implement them effectively

The Action Lab, a research initiative of Northeaster Law’s Center for Health Policy and Law, advances justice through a public health lens.

About Northeastern University School of Law

The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,100 employers worldwide in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.

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