Intro to Harm Reduction

It seems today that outreach programs go hand in hand with the principles of harm reduction. Broadly speaking, harm reduction involves preventative practices to reduce the chance of harmful consequences resulting from high risk activities. Harm reduction is about meeting the needs of those it is trying to reach out to.

The World Health Organization strongly endorses harm reduction as an evidence-based approach to HIV prevention, and in the treatment and care of drug users. Safe injection sites for intravenous drug users are an example of harm reduction in action and clearly illustrate its main goal: it is not exclusively the elimination of risky behaviors, but rather reducing the risks and harms associated with such behaviors.

One could argue that harm reduction is only a band-aid solution and that the only way to address the social and personal costs of risky behaviors is to make abstinence the goal. In an ideal world, this certainly makes sense, however real life experience with abstinence programs has shown us that abstinence goals are often not realistic. On the other hand, studies have clearly shown that harm reduction programs have greatly reduced HIV transmission and death from overdoses. 1, 2

Since its inception, harm reduction has met with resistance. For many harm reduction opponents the idea of, say, facilitating drug use is illogical. These opponents know that what drug addicts need is to just stop using. The difference found in harm reduction lies in providing people with services they can, and will, access rather than what we think they need.

Harm reduction continues to be a controversial topic. What do you think? Is there a place for harm reduction in our service approaches? What do you see as the pros and cons?


Harm reduction programs available at AIDS Calgary:
1. AIDS Calgary provides safer sex supplies, such as condoms and lube, that help reduce the harm associated with sexual activity and to reduce the spread of HIV and other STI’s.
2. AIDS Calgary provides needle exchange equipment and safer inhalation equipment through our partnership with Safeworks.
3. AIDS Calgary’s street outreach connects with people where they are at.
4. AIDS Calgary counseling is non-judgmental and harm reduction based.
5. AIDS Calgary’s Shift program works from a harm reduction philosophy to provide support, outreach, education, advocacy, referrals, and counseling to individuals involved in, or those who have been involved in, the sex trade.

References:
1. Amundsen EJ. Measuring effectiveness of needle and syringe exchange programmes for prevention of HIV among injecting drug users. Addiction 2006;101:911-2.
2. Langendam MW, van Brussel GH, Coutinho RA, van Ameijden EJ. The impact of harm-reduction-based methadone treatment on mortality among heroin users. Am J Public Health 2001;91:774-80.

This article was submitted by guest blogger, Anna Lam . This blog was originally posted in February 2010 on AIDS Calgary's The A Word http://aidscalgary.blogspot.com/