Harm reduction is a set of
practical strategies and ideas
aimed at reducing negative
consequences associated with
drug use.
Harm Reduction is also a
movement for social justice
built on a belief in, and respect
for, the rights of people who
use drugs.
FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES CENTRAL TO HARM REDUCTION
Harm reduction is a set of
practical strategies and ideas
aimed at reducing negative
consequences associated with
drug use.
Harm Reduction is also a
movement for social justice
built on a belief in, and respect
for, the rights of people who
use drugs.
Harm reduction incorporates a spectrum of strategies that includes
safer use, managed use, abstinence, meeting people who use drugs
“where they’re at,” and addressing conditions of use along with the use
itself. Because harm reduction demands that interventions and policies
designed to serve people who use drugs reflect specific individual
and community needs, there is no universal definition of or formula for
implementing harm reduction.
However, National Harm Reduction Coalition considers the following
principles central to harm reduction practice:
