Preventing Substance Misuse
Harm Reduction
What is Harm Reduction?
Harm Reduction is what it sounds like: minimizing risk and further harm. It recognizes that all individuals deserve safety and considers how choices impact others in a community. Harm Reduction is a normal part of our day-to-day lives. Examples include using seat belts, washing hands, using sunscreen, and wearing helmets.
Harm reduction saves lives.
How is Harm Reduction relevant to me?
We emphasize the importance of creating safe communities for all individuals – including individuals who use substances. By learning about Harm Reduction and focusing on compassion, we can help create a better community environment for all people, regardless of their use.
Harm Reduction principles and practices are evidence-based and address substance use and substance use disorder. Promoting Harm Reduction keeps compassion on the forefront, decreasing stigma and improving access to care for everyone.
How does Harm Reduction apply to substance use?
Harm Reduction practices aim to minimize the negative health, social and legal impacts associated with drug use, drug policies and drug laws.
Some practical examples of this include:
- Naloxone- a safe medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.
- Fentanyl Test Strips- easy to use kit that tests for fentanyl contamination in pills.
- Safe Injection Sites- These are facilities are supervised by health care providers who can prepare and distribute sterile injection supplies, give emergency care in the event of an overdose, and referrals to appropriate social and addiction services to individuals injecting substances.
How Can I Promote Harm Reduction?
