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Writer's pictureSarah Rose Marie Chávez

What is Harm Reduction?

Updated: Feb 19



The National Harm Reduction Coalition defines harm reduction as, "a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use. Harm Reduction is also a movement for social justice built on a belief in, and respect for, the rights of people who use drugs. Incorporates a spectrum of strategies that includes safer use, managed use, abstinence, meeting people who use drugs "where they're at," and addressing conditions of use along with the use itself." (Guzman, National Harm Reduction Coalition) Harm Reduction principles also acknowledge that people will use drugs, regardless of what discrimination, stigma, or misinformation is made readily available to the public. Once we as a society can accept that drugs will always be a part of our community, we can begin to truly discuss approaches that reduce the harm for people who use drugs.

Indigenous Harm Reduction is a way of life rooted in Indigenous knowledge and worldviews. Combined with the best of what the Western Harm Reduction world can offer, and focused on mitigating the living legacy of colonization. To distinguish between First Nations harm reduction theory the term, Western Harm Reduction, is utilized to describe harm reduction efforts within the United States that do not center Indigenous experiences. When approaching harm reduction with Indigenous values, one must acknowledge the connection between substance use and colonialism. At the heart of it, Indigenous Harm Reduction acknowledges the long term effects of colonization on First Nations peoples relationship to drugs and medicine. Reconnecting to one's Indigenous Nation is one of the essential steps in the Indigenous approach to harm reduction. The following is a short film on Indigenous Harm Reduction and is part of the “Connecting to Culture” video series by the First Nations Health Authority of Canada. No one should be excluded from the circle due to where they are at in their drug use.


(First Nations Health, Indigenous Harm Reduction)


Protecting the health of people who use drugs (PWUD) requires providing the services and resources they need. Practices such as needle exchange programs, naloxone distribution, and opioid substitution therapies have been established internationally as a main approach in the prevention of HIV, hepatitis C, and overdoses. Taking services directly to people is also necessary in order to best serve the community. Meeting people where they are, provides us with an opportunity to engage community members before it is too late.

Within the first few weeks of distributing naloxone in the McAllen and Edinburg region of Hidalgo County, we received our first report of an overdose reversal. None of us expected to hear of a reversal so quickly. These unexpected results truly highlighted how prevalent overdoses are in the Rio Grande Valley. Currently, there are no other organizations providing naloxone to the community hassle-free.

Harm reduction also addresses the stigma surrounding people who use drugs. Too often in our Latinx community, we are taught to not discuss drug use openly. If a member of our community is identified as a person who uses drugs, it is not uncommon for them to be ostracized from social and organizing networks. Isolation has been shown to be detrimental to people who use drugs. In many cases, isolation results in the person who uses drugs taking on higher doses and pursuing riskier behavior when attempting to obtain drugs. If we do not begin to approach people who use drugs with basic respect, our society will continue to see the rate of preventable overdoses rise.

We meet people where they are, but we do not leave people where they are. Harm reduction is an evidence-informed approach, meant to be a non-judgmental option for people who use drugs. We are not here to tell the community what they need, but rather to respond to the support the community requests. People who use drugs will continue to use drugs whether or not harm reduction services are available. Can you imagine how many lives would be lost if harm reduction services did not exist? Recovery is not linear and as a society, we must accept that every single overdose is a preventable death. Every overdose death is a policy failure.



Sources:


Mackay, Charles. "Harm Reduction Saves Lives." Swansea University, 2023,


Guzman, Laura. “Principles of Harm Reduction” Principles of Harm Reduction, National Harm Reduction Coalition, 20 Mar. 2023, https://harmreduction.org/about-us/principles-of-harm-reduction/


First Nations Health. “Indigenous Harm Reduction.”YouTube, uploaded by Scribbr, 20 Mar. 2023, https://youtu.be/K4ikf0EB1Nw

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9 Comments


melissa.yanez01
May 04, 2023

I enjoyed how resourceful and informational your blog is. I read new information about Harm Reduction and everything it entails, and it was really captivating.

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jazmin.vqz02
May 03, 2023

Hello! This blog is super informational on the topic of harm reduction. While this is not for everybody, by providing access to these resources, it can help people improve their health. This is a very valuable approach to addressing social issues.

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Hi Sarah, your blog post had me fascinated about what harm reduction is, what the indigenous approach is, and what it takes to help people overdosing over drug usage. I also agree with the focus on medical support for the addicted than on what drug they're taking.

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Amber Rose
Amber Rose
Apr 16, 2023

A different approach towards those who use drugs. I quite liked your post and feel like this topic should be shown more to reduce harm.

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laura.balboa01
Mar 21, 2023

I totally agree with you. This has been one of the topics that has piqued my interest lately. I think this is a much better way to deal with addiction.

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