There is no universally accepted definition of harm reduction. The below lays out Harm Reduction International’s position on this issue based on their years of work on drug use, public health and human rights, and incorporates views shared by partner organisations.
Harm reduction refers to policies, programmes and practices that aim to minimize negative health, social and legal impacts associated with drug use, drug policies and drug laws. Harm reduction is grounded in justice and human rights - it focuses on positive change and on working with people without judgement, coercion, discrimination, or requiring that they stop using drugs as a precondition of support.
Harm reduction encompasses a range of health and social services and practices that apply to illicit and licit drugs. These include, but are not limited to, drug consumption rooms, needle and syringe programmes, non-abstinence-based housing and employment initiatives, drug checking, overdose prevention and reversal, psychosocial support, and the provision of information on safer drug use. Approaches such as these are cost-effective, evidence-based and have a positive impact on individual and community health.
A simple way to explain harm reduction is, “helping to keep people safe in whatever situation they are in at the moment”. It can be providing supplies to someone who uses intravenous drugs or working out a safety plan with a person who has nowhere to go. The Harm Reduction International definition is much more comprehensive, going into policy change and social justice initiatives.
The main reason that harm reduction works is that it relates to the human experience and does not just focus on a problem. Folks who practice harm reduction see the person first and the adaptations and coping mechanisms as a symptom of much deeper issues.
Harm reduction allows people to feel safe and not judged during the most vulnerable time of their life; it allows people dignity when they do not feel worthy. A large part of practicing harm reduction is the opportunity to build a trusting relationship, even if it is for a few moments each time, with a client, youth, or service user. We can create positive interactions and move forward with our client when they are ready. At the Old Strathcona Youth Society and many other agencies, we work within a harm reduction philosophy whether it is having supplies available, creating safety plans for folks sleeping rough or working in the sex trade industry, or folks in a domestic violence situation. Without the opportunity to connect respectfully with people who are in high risk situations, we may not know when a client could be open for information or referral. We can help folks stay safe and work together with them on health and social inclusion, mental health, and community connections.
Building relationships, connecting, and providing a sense of belonging are the absolute best ways to promote health, safety, and potentially recovery. Demonizing people who have mental health concerns and addictions and creating laws that punish traumatized people only exacerbates the social issues.
Harm reduction works because people, social agencies, health care services, and community centres care about the people with whom they work. It allows human beings to share space and be honest and up front about their issues, and that is always what we strive for in helping people work with the adaptations they have built to survive.
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Karen Drynan
Old Strathcona Youth Society