Harm reduction is defined as 'policies, programs and practices that aim to reduce the harms associated with the use of psychoactive drugs in people unable or unwilling to stop. The defining features are the focus on the prevention of harm, rather than on the prevention of drug use itself, and the focus on people who continue to use drugs” (International Harm Reduction Association, 2010).
This module includes informative books, ebooks, journals, databases, videos, and more to assist you with learning and understanding more about the benefits of adopting harm reduction policies, principles and programs into practice.
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Harm reduction is based on the recognition that many people throughout the world continue to use psychoactive drugs, despite even the strongest efforts to prevent the initiation or continued use of drugs. Drug users are not defined by their addiction and they deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Harm reduction initiatives are compassionate towards patients but also beneficial to society; they decrease the prevalence of serious infectious illnesses like HIV and Hep C.
To combat Canada’s increasing number of drug overdoses, the federal government introduced legislation that makes it easier to open supervised drug injection sites. Watch this 360° video to discover more about these life-saving facilities, and step into Canada’s first — and the world’s busiest — supervised drug injection site.
Organization says demand at the pop-up site over the long weekend shows a need for a permanent supervised consumption site in the city of Winnipeg. @_MorganModjeski reports.
Why do we still think that drug use is a law-enforcement issue? Making drugs illegal does nothing to stop people from using them, says public health expert Mark Tyndall. So, what might work? Tyndall shares community-based research that shows how harm-reduction strategies, like safe-injection sites, are working to address the drug overdose crisis.
We encourage the use of respectful, non-stigmatizing language when describing substance use disorders, addiction and people who use drugs. It can save lives.
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