Skip to main content
Harm Reduction Circle
Harm Reduction Circle
Nightlife Settings, Street-Based Outreach, Online, & Beyond

  • Proudly Serving the State of New Hampshire

    Harm Reduction Circle – New Hampshire Syringe Services Program

    📍 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5564, Irvine, CA 92616
    📞 Phone: (949) 659-8180
    ✉️ Email: NH@harmreductioncircle.org
    🕒 Hours of Operation: Variable — street outreach and peer delivery available by appointment or request.
    💬 Services Offered: Syringe services, naloxone and fentanyl test strip distribution, mail-order supplies, peer support, wound care referrals, and linkage to treatment or housing resources.
    Request Services in NH

Mission & Vision in New Hampshire

Every person deserves the chance to survive and thrive, regardless of where they live or what they’ve been through. Harm Reduction Circle’s mission in New Hampshire is rooted in that belief — and in our founder’s deep personal connection to the Granite State. Born and raised in New Hampshire, our founder witnessed firsthand how stigma, isolation, and lack of access to resources have left too many communities struggling without the help they deserve.

Taking care of New Hampshire holds personal meaning to our organization. This is more than a program — it’s a homecoming. Our work honors the people and places that shaped our beginnings, ensuring that every resident, from rural towns to city centers, has access to life-saving harm reduction tools, compassionate education, and supportive connections.

Our purpose is to ensure that every eligible resident can access the tools, education, and support necessary to survive and thrive—regardless of geographic or socioeconomic barriers. e’re committed to breaking down barriers of geography, stigma, and policy so that New Hampshire’s most vulnerable neighbors are never left behind.

Request Services in NH

Local Focus & Peer-Led Model

HRC’s work in New Hampshire is powered by a team of ten trained local volunteers, each bringing lived or living experience. This peer-led structure ensures every service we deliver is accessible, low-barrier, and rooted in trust. We prioritize direct relationships with participants, community partners, and local service providers to ensure continuity of care and culturally responsive support.

Why New Hampshire Is at a Critical Point

  • A State in Crisis: New Hampshire’s overdose death rate is over 50% higher than the U.S. average (36 per 100,000).
  • Severe Barriers to Access: New Hampshire ranks 49th in per-capita public transit funding, leaving many rural residents 30+ miles from care.
  • Critical Funding Gaps: Although syringe services programs are authorized under state law, no state operational funding exists. Programs like ours operate entirely through grants and community donations to keep people alive.

Public Health

Public health data represent the overall risk and protective factors of every state. These indicators include opioid overdose rates, presence of community-based substance use prevention messaging, and access to naloxone and fentanyl drug testing equipment at the state level. Public health recommendations focus on the role and funding of public health departments in a system of care. Recommendations include educating communities on opioid risk and access to community-level harm reduction measures, attending to the safety of the community by strategically evaluating need, and allocating resources for opioid overdose prevention strategies.

Out of all 50 states plus the District of Columbia (51 total), New Hampshire ranks third from the bottom, meaning:

  • It has low naloxone dispensing rates, meaning fewer doses of naloxone are distributed per capita.

  • It shows limited access to community-based prevention messaging (e.g., fewer programs reaching youth or the general public with evidence-based substance use education).

  • It has relatively fewer pharmacies or health care access points where overdose prevention resources may be available.

  • A higher proportion of adults lack a personal doctor or primary health care provider, suggesting structural barriers to care.

Overdose Deaths in 2024

  • Nationally, the average rate of opioid overdose deaths in 2024 was 16.3 per 100,000 people, with a total of 54,743 deaths nationwide, a significant decrease from overdose rates in 2023. According to the CDC, 30,000 fewer people died from an opioid overdose in 2024 compared to 2023. The highest rates of opioid overdose in 2024 were in New Hampshire and Maine, both with an overdose rate of over 100 per 100,000 people in the state population.

  • New Hampshire had:

    • 109.55 deaths per 100,000 people,

    • 1,536 total deaths,

    • The highest overdose death rate in the entire United States.

  • Maine followed closely behind at 104.82 deaths per 100,000, and New Mexico ranked third at 82.06 per 100,000.

  • New Hampshire’s overdose mortality rate was nearly seven times the national average, underscoring a severe public health emergency.

  • While total deaths (1,536) are smaller than in more populous states like California or New York, the per-capita rate reveals an outsized impact relative to population size.

How We Provide Support

Syringe Services & Safe Disposal

At the heart of our work in New Hampshire is our state-authorized Syringe Services Program (SSP) — designed to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and reduce community harm. We provide confidential exchange of sterile injection supplies and ensure safe sharps collection and disposal in accordance with RSA 318-B:43. Every exchange is judgment-free and discreet, allowing participants to protect their health and safety without fear of stigma or reprisal.

Peer Support

Our outreach is powered by people who have lived it. Our trained peer volunteers—many with lived or living experience—build trust through understanding, compassion, and shared experience. Whether offering nonjudgmental listening, practical strategies for safer use, or emotional support through crisis moments, our peers meet people where they are.

We know that connection saves lives. Every interaction centers on relationship-building, empowerment, & dignity.

Resource Navigation

Our team provides one-on-one navigation support to connect participants with essential health and social services, including Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), HIV/HCV testing and care, housing, mental health resources, and primary medical care. When someone is ready for treatment or additional services, we provide warm handoffs—staying with them until they are safely connected to a trusted provider. Plus, we always ensure every resource is up-to-date.

Request Services in NH

Message from HRC's Founder

“Taking care of New Hampshire holds deeply personal meaning for me. I was born and raised here — these are the communities that shaped my values and the people who first taught me what compassion and resilience look like.


When I founded Harm Reduction Circle, I knew our work had to reach back home. This is more than a program; it’s a homecoming. Every naloxone kit distributed, every conversation, and every life saved is a way of giving back to the state that raised me.


Our mission in New Hampshire is to make sure no one is left behind — no matter their zip code, background, or circumstance. Together, we’re breaking down barriers of geography, stigma, and policy so every resident has access to the care, dignity, and safety they deserve.”


— Annastasia Rose Beal, Founder & Executive Director, Harm Reduction Circle

Proudly Serving the State of New Hampshire

Almost before we knew it, we had left the ground. All their equipment and instruments are alive.Mist enveloped the ship three hours out from port. The spectacle before us was indeed sublime.A red flair silhouetted the jagged edge of a wing.