|
|
"Harm reduction" aims to keep people safe and minimize death, disease, and injury from high risk behaviour. Harm reduction involves a range of support services and strategies to enhance the knowledge, skills, resources, and supports for individuals, families and communities to be safer and healthier.
A range of services is available to prevent harms from substance use. Some examples include:
Impaired driving prevention campaigns
Create awareness of the risks of driving under the influence of alcohol and
other legal or illegal substances
Peer support programs
Groups for people who use substances - to improve their quality of life and
to address gaps in services
Needle distribution programs
Distribute clean needles and other harm reduction supplies and educate on their
safe disposal
Outreach and education
Make contact with people who use substances to encourage safer behaviour
Substitution therapies
Substitute illegal heroin with legal, non-injection methadone or prescription
heroin
Supervised consumption facilities
Prevent overdose deaths and other harms by providing a safer, supervised environment
for people using substances
Harm reduction has many benefits for people who use substances, their families, and communities. Research shows harm reduction activities can:
Harm reduction makes it as easy as possible for people who use substances to get help.
Harm reduction services are open to all people who use substances, at any stage of their substance use. This way, help is available when someone using substances wants to move in a new direction, for example switching from injecting, or using heroin to using methadone, or accessing treatment.
People who use substances are encouraged to participate in harm reduction activities. These services aim to involve people in their own health by keeping them connected to the health system. Harm reduction can empower people to improve the quality of their lives.
Many people express concerns about harm reduction. Some of the more common concerns are addressed here.
Q: Could harm reduction make it easier for people to use substances and prevent them from quitting?
A: In society, there are people who use substances. Dependent users may not want or be able to quit, or may continue to relapse into substance use. Harm reduction reduces the risk and spread of infections like hepatitis and HIV. Harm reduction creates opportunities for people to lead healthier lives.
Q: Could harm reduction activities encourage people to use substances?
A: Research shows that harm reduction activities do not encourage substance use.
Q: Does harm reduction drain funding from treatment programs?
A: Treatment programs are part of harm reduction. Specific harm reduction activities are cost-effective, and prevent costly outcomes like hepatitis and HIV.
Q: Does harm reduction mean trying to legalize substances?
A: Legalization is not part of harm reduction. Harm reduction applies to both legal and illegal substance use. A high school organizing safe rides home after graduation because parents realize their teenagers may be drinking, is an example of harm reduction.
|
For more HealthLink BC File topics, visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca/healthfiles/index.stm or your local public health unit. Click on www.HealthLinkBC.ca or call 8-1-1 for non-emergency health information and services in B.C. For deaf and hearing-impaired assistance, call 7-1-1 in B.C. Translation services are available in more than 130 languages on request. |
English