We use harm reduction every day—whether it’s seatbelts, bike helmets, sunscreen, or flu shots. They don’t completely eliminate risk, but they make us safer. The same principle applies to drugs. Sterile syringes lower a person’s risk of HIV and hepatitis. Test strips can detect fentanyl. Having naloxone on hand can save a friend’s life in an overdose. Harm reduction is simply common-sense safety.
Harm reduction is designed to meet people where they are at to form connection. Harm reduction empowers people with tools that reduce the risks of drug use, prevent overdose, improve health, and save lives. Some may try to say “We need treatment instead,” but treatment only works if people are alive. And treatment is scarce: there are not enough beds, wait-times can be weeks or months long, or insurance may not cover it. Harm reduction is essential because it keeps people alive and connected to care until treatment is possible.
Harm reduction is about offering options that can help people who use drugs stay alive and reduce disease transmission. It includes:
Harm reduction is a lifesaving tool. It can keep people safer, and alive, while navigating social inequalities and other challenges . This includes homelessness, poverty, mental health, and trauma. Health starts where people live, learn, work, and play. Our elected officials must still invest in housing, in livable wages, and in better access to treatment and health care etc.
They are proven to prevent overdose, curb the spread of blood-borne disease, save lives, and connect people with care.
To learn more about harm reduction, visit the National Harm Reduction Coalition.
