Harm Reduction
The goal of harm reduction is to meet drug users where they are, so they can live long enough to start to imagine a different reality - Shayna Gaffen
.jpg)
image by: Harm Reduction Coalition Of San Diego County
HWN Recommends
Dan Bigg Is a Harm-Reduction Pioneer and His Overdose Doesn’t Change That
Study after study of harm-reduction techniques show that they are more effective than the “just say no” approach: needle exchange programs, for example, have been shown around the world to reduce HIV infection rates while not increasing teen drug use. Contrary to fears about prolonging or encouraging addiction, syringe exchanges actually make it more likely for people to seek help and recover from addiction.
Similar findings are seen with safe-injection facilities: although millions of injections by thousands of people in countries like Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands have taken place in these medically-supervised rooms, no overdose deaths have been reported in them.…
Resources
‘We’re making harm reduction cool’: overdose reversal Narcan becomes a rave essential
As recreational drugs like cocaine are increasingly cut with fentanyl, a movement has sprung up to prevent deaths in nightclubs.
As drug overdoses soar, more providers embrace harm reduction
In a first, the U.S. government is funding clean syringe programs for people who use drugs, and New York City has approved supervised drug use sites. Here’s how the controversial strategy of harm reduction is at work in hospitals and on city streets.
As Fentanyl Overdoses Rise, How to Keep Loved Ones Safe
Drug overdoses have reached record highs. Experts offer tips to talk about opioids with your family.
New York Plans to Install ‘Vending Machines’ With Anti-Overdose Drugs
In addition to naloxone, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, the machines will distribute free syringes, toiletries and safe-sex kits.
Overdose Awareness: Why It Matters
Rafe epitomizes why harm reduction strategies work. Multiple, evidence-based interventions – rooted in compassion and reducing harm – saved his life.
What Those in Power Are Missing About the Opioid Epidemic
“This is what happens when public health fails.”
Harm-reduction programs acknowledge the difference between ‘do no harm’ and ‘protect from harm’
Medical school had convinced me that the U.S. was the best place in the world at keeping sick people alive. But meeting people like Brian, who grow up surrounded by sickness, disability, and early death, confronted me with the grim reality that our nation hasn’t done enough to protect and foster healthy people.
Helping Drug Users Survive, Not Abstain: ‘Harm Reduction’ Gains Federal Support
Overdoses have surged during the pandemic. Now, for the first time, Congress has appropriated funds specifically for programs that distribute clean syringes and other supplies meant to protect users.
How Supervised Drug Consumption Sites Could Help Solve The Opioid Crisis
These centers are part of a broader strategy of harm reduction, a set of strategies designed to minimize the negative effects of drug use. While the harm reduction model has been embraced by the Biden Administration, they haven't endorsed supervised consumption sites.
How to stop the deadliest drug overdose crisis in American history
The opioid epidemic could kill hundreds of thousands in the next decade. But America can beat it.
I'm a Doctor Who Thinks America Should Let People Inject Heroin Safely
I know there's a lot more we could be doing for heroin users who haven't quit yet.
Naloxone helps prevent opioid deaths. Here’s how to find and use it
Healthcare facilities and first responders across the county have naloxone on hand to treat people in an opioid-related health crisis. Hospitals have also begun giving naloxone kits to these patients when they’re discharged, instead of sending them off with just a prescription, said Shannon Knox, director of training and education for Community Health Project L.A.
Safer supply of opioids saves lives: Providing alternatives to toxic street drugs
Unfortunately, there has been opposition to safer supply programs from some in the addiction treatment community. Such opposition has the potential to undermine public support for people who use drugs and the expansion of lifesaving interventions that are urgently needed.
Sending Your Kid to College? Send Them With Fentanyl Testing Strips and Naloxone.
Think of them as an essential harm-reduction tool, like condoms.
This overdose-reversal medicine could reduce opioid deaths – so why don’t more people carry it?
The fear that life-saving interventions encourage reckless behavior – a concern historically used to oppose everything from condoms to seat belts – is called “moral hazard.” There is no peer-reviewed, empirical evidence that naloxone use encourages opioid use. But this argument remains pervasive.
‘It’s saved many lives’: first US overdose prevention centers give safe spaces to people in crisis
Since the opening of the centers for those who struggle with substance abuse, at least 85 overdoses have been reversed without medical attention.
Dan Bigg Is a Harm-Reduction Pioneer and His Overdose Doesn’t Change That
Bigg brought the opioid antidote naloxone to the streets. But today’s poisoned drug supply makes saving lives harder than ever.
Harm Reduction Coalition Of San Diego County On Point
On Point operates under a needs-based mobile distribution model that brings services directly to individuals. This model eliminates geographic and temporal barriers, as staff and volunteers can reach parts of San Diego County that would otherwise have no harm reduction programs. On Point provides both home visits and street outreach to maximize the availability of harm reduction services.
National Harm Reduction Coalition
National Harm Reduction Coalition creates spaces for dialogue and action that help heal the harms caused by racialized drug policies.
StopOverdose.org
Stopoverdose.org is a project of the Center for Drug Safety and Services Education (CDSSE) at the University of Washington Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute
Harm Reduction Journal
Harm Reduction Journal publishes research focusing on the prevalent patterns of psychoactive drug use, the public policies meant to control them, and the search for effective methods of reducing the adverse medical, public health, and social consequences associated with both drugs and drug policies.
People’s Harm Reduction Alliance
The People’s Harm Reduction Alliance (PHRA) is a community-based non-profit and drug user empowerment organization that has provided health and harm reduction services to people who use drugs in since 2007.
Introducing Stitches!
Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!
Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.
