 Harm Reduction Saves Lives
What is Harm Reduction?
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 'harm reduction is a practical and transformative approach that incorporates community-driven public health strategies — including prevention, risk reduction, and health promotion — to empower people who use drugs (and their families) with the choice to live healthy, self-directed, and purpose-filled lives.'
What does this really mean? Realistically, no matter how much we do to prevent substance use, some people are still going to use drugs whether by choice, disease or illness, or accident. And while we still will do everything in our power to prevent substance use, harm reduction is one strategy that aims to limit the harm caused by using drugs and ensures we are not leaving anyone behind in the community.
For example, if a friend, child, or family member is misusing prescription opioids, we want them to be able to get the help they need – that their life does not have to ultimately end in an overdose. By doing this, we can meet people where they are at in their recovery journey. Harm reduction allows us to do just that.
Harm reduction is also a normal part of everyone's life:
- Seat belts limit injury or death in car accidents.
- Helmets protect against head injury while riding bikes, snowmobiling, and playing hockey.
- Sunscreen helps keep skin safe from the sun.
- Wearing orange in the woods during hunting season helps someone to be seen by other people.
- Naloxone nasal spray prevents death from overdose.
- Fentanyl test strips helps people know what they are putting in their body.
Each of these items has its own place to prevent or reduce harm.
Stigma & Harm Reduction
Harm reduction has stigma associated with it because it is not well understood from a substance use view point. The Harm Reduction Saves Lives Campaign aims to address those misunderstandings to help normalize substance use harm reduction.
Harm Reduction Saves Lives Toolkit
In order to educate the general public on what harm reduction is, why it matters, and what resources may be available to them, a toolkit has been developed and is available to you. From social media posts, to Power Points and infographics, there are loads of materials ready to be implemented.
Learn More About Harm Reduction
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