We describe an effective method for catalytic reduction of 1 degrees alkyl sulfonates, and 1 degrees and 2 degrees iodides in the presence of a wide range of functional groups. This Cu-catalyzed reaction provides a means for the effective deoxygenation of alcohols, as demonstrated by the highly selective reduction of 1 degrees alcohols using a triflation/reduction sequence. A preliminary study of the reaction mechanism suggests that the reduction does not involve free-radical intermediates.