Helen Redmond

Helen Redmond is a licensed clinical social worker and an expert in drug addiction. She has extensive knowledge of drug treatment modalities and is a leading expert in medications for opioid use disorder; methadone and buprenorphine. In her groundbreaking, debut book, Policing and Punishment in Methadone Clinics and the Future of Opioid Addiction Treatment, she interviewed dozens of people who take methadone, clinic staff, and drug user activists.

Redmond is also a leading expert in nicotine dependence and tobacco harm reduction. She is the founder of Nicotine Harm Reduction Consultants and provides training and consultation on mental health, nicotine use, safer nicotine products, and the politics of vaping. Redmond has facilitated tobacco harm reduction/vaping groups at New York Harm Reduction Educators (now OnPoint NYC) and at St. Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction in the Bronx.

Redmond is a senior editor and a multimedia journalist at Filter and her short videos appear on the website. Her articles range from the politics of methadone to the war on nicotine to poppy production in Afghanistan.

Redmond is a documentary filmmaker and her feature-length film, Liquid Handcuffs: A Documentary to Free Methadone, has screened across the US and internationally. She toured her short film, Swallow THIS: A Documentary About Methadone & COVID-19, across the US. You can watch them here.

Redmond is an adjunct assistant professor at New York University, Silver School of Social Work.

Social media:

X: @aftariak
Bluesky: @helenredmond.bsky.social
Instagram: helenredmond9396

Publications, Articles

Liquid Handcuffs: Policing and Punishment in Methadone Clinics and the Future of Opioid Addiction Treatment North Atlantic Books [2026]

Helen Redmond’s articles @ Filter Website

Sub-specialties: Addiction, opioids, politics of methadone, tobacco harm reduction, safer nicotine products, health journalism