harmreduction

Harm reduction is a public health approach that seeks to minimize the health, social, and legal harms associated with risky behaviors, especially illicit drug use. It emphasizes pragmatism, human rights, and nonjudgmental, evidence-based care. Abstinence is not required, and people are met where they are.

Key interventions include needle and syringe programs, opioid agonist therapy (methadone or buprenorphine), overdose prevention with naloxone, and supervised consumption sites. Additional elements can include testing and vaccination for HIV and hepatitis C, safer-sex and housing supports, and linkage to treatment and social services.

Evidence links harm reduction to lower transmission of infections, reduced overdose deaths, and better engagement with treatment, often with good cost-effectiveness. Programs work best when accessible, culturally appropriate, and integrated with broader health and social supports, including housing, mental health care, and peer involvement.

Critics argue it may appear to condone drug use or divert resources from prevention. Debates focus on legality, funding, and program design. Proponents emphasize that harm reduction complements prevention and treatment and upholds the right to health and human dignity.

Global health bodies, including the World Health Organization and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, endorse harm reduction. Adoption varies by country due to legal and political factors, but it remains a central element of contemporary strategies to reduce drug-related harms.