About Us
Our Mission
The Center for Political Drug Education serves and transforms the lives of intergenerational communities who have been impacted by the trauma of the War on Drugs* through political education, skill-building, and community building.
*We believe that the War on Drugs, and the racism and capitalism that enforce the War on Drugs, are the root causes of drug-related problems, rather than the drugs themselves. When we shine a light on how these systems of oppression have impacted ourselves, our families, and our communities, we can restore balance to and and transform our collective relationships with drugs.
Our practice embraces the sacredness of life in both its darkness and its light as we hold space for each person or group on their journey towards greater health and wholeness.
Our Team
FRANCES FU
Frances Fu has been doing political drug education work since 2011, rooted in a harm reduction and healing justice praxis. She has worked with intergenerational populations to steward greater awareness of how the War on Drugs and intersecting systems of oppression are related to trauma, mental health, and substance use. Currently, she serves as the DOPE (Drug Overdose Prevention Education) Project Manager, a program of the National Harm Reduction Coalition that oversees all of the community-based overdose prevention and naloxone-distribution efforts in San Francisco.
She is a co-founder of the Asian American Drug War Healing Circle, which heals drug war trauma in Asian communities through political education, skill-building, and storytelling.
Education & Certifications: BS Social Policy, Minor in Business Institutions, Northwestern University. Holistic Nutrition Coach, Bauman College. BACCHUS Certified Peer Educator
RHANA HASHEMI
Rhana is a drug health educator, motivational speaker, program developer, and coach for young people who use drugs. At the Oakland Unified School District, Rhana has developed over 10 school and district-wide healing-centered, social justice drug prevention and education programs as alternatives to traditional school disciplinary approaches. Her programs have effectively engaged and trained 50+ high school and middle school students as peer educators and leaders in addressing drug and health issues in their schools and communities. In her workshops, Rhana integrates spiritual, scientific, and socio-political perspectives to holistically discuss drug use, reduce stigma, and inspire young peoples' self-awareness and wisdom of what it means to fulfill their human potential. Rhana also provides individual coaching sessions for students and conducts workshops for parents who wish to engage in respectful dialogue with their teenagers about drugs.
Education & Certifications: MS Candidate in Community Health and Prevention Research from Stanford School of Medicine. BA Social Welfare, UC Berkeley. 200-HR Yoga Teacher Training.