Foundations 1: Understanding the Evidence March 2026

Learn how to assess the quality of scientific studies and interpret results appropriately. Evaluate the relative risk and safety profiles of 6 common substances. Identify individual harm reduction interventions you can start using now, soon, and into the future.

During this session, we will discuss how scientific information is produced, including concepts such as case-control matching, statistical significance, and the difference between association and causation. These concepts will guide our discussion of the scientific evidence around 6 kinds of commonly used substances: alcohol, benzodiazepines, cannabis, opioids, stimulants, and tobacco/nicotine.

Participants will...

--analyze strengths, weaknesses, and generalizability of a study based on sample selection, comparison group, and study design.

--create care plans and plans of safe care that identify substance exposure as one of many intersecting factors influencing health.

--recall at least 3 individual level interventions to reduce risk/harm associated with substance exposure for the dyad.