Harm Reduction Examples
What does harm reduction look like?
We all use harm reduction strategies in our day-to-day lives when we choose safer ways to engage in what can be risky behaviours. Harm reduction strategies include drinking beverages that have lower caffeine or alcohol content; smoking, vaping, or consuming tobacco and cannabis products in less harmful ways; and taking precautions when having sex to reduce the likelihood of disease transmission. The term harm reduction, however, is usually applied to drug use and can be exemplified by the following laws and social services.
Supervised Consumption Services, Supervised Injection Services, Overdose Prevention Sites, and Consumption and Treatment Services (SCS/SIS/OPS/CTS)
Supervised consumption services (SCS) are public health facilities that allow people to use drugs safely under the supervision of healthcare professionals and peers. SCS have proven to be effective in preventing overdose deaths as well as connecting people who use drugs to treatment and other health and social services. SCS provide safer injection, smoking, and sex supplies and reduce the risk of HIV and Hepatitis C transmission among people who use drugs and engage in sex.
Contrary to popular belief, SCS do not promote drug use or increase crime in neighbourhoods where they are located (CMHA, 2014). In fact, harm reduction and public health approaches to drug use are proven to reduce overall drug use and addiction over time, as well as improve community safety and trust in police (Shepherd & Caldwell, 2017). SCS have also been shown to reduce rates of public injecting, decrease the number of publicly-discarded needles, and promote safer injection and use practices amongst people who use drugs (Petrar et al., 2007).
Please visit our SCS/SIS/OPS/CTS page to find a service near you.
Good Samaritan Policies
Good Samaritan policies protect people in the event of an overdose from being punished and/or charged for simple drug possession. The person who experiences the overdose and the people who call for help and/or are present at the overdose scene are all protected from criminal charges in certain instances (Health Canada, 2017). Good Samaritan policies save lives by preventing hesitation and encouraging people who witness an overdose to call 911 (Health Canada, 2017).
You can visit our Good Samaritan Policies page read more about the Canadian Good Samaritan Overdose Act and the limitations of the law.
needle exchange program / Syringe exchange program (NEP / SEP)
Needle Exchange Programs (NEP) provide sterile syringes and injection supplies for people who inject drugs and have a long history of successful implementation in Canada (NorthWestern Health Unit, 2019a). NEP are proven to be extremely effective in reducing the transmission of blood-borne diseases among people who inject drugs such as HIV and Hep C (NorthWestern Health Unit, 2019b), and they reduce the amount of publicly-discarded needles.
Drug checking services
Drug checking services allow people who use drugs and their dealers to test for the substances that are present in the drugs they use and sell, allowing them to make informed choices. Drug checking services are effective in detecting the presence of dangerous substances such as fentanyl and carfentanil (Vancouver Coastal Health, 2019), and have been shown to reduce the amount of a drug that a person will use.
References
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). (2014). Harm reduction. Retrieved from https://ontario.cmha.ca/harm-reduction/
Health Canada. (2017). About the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/problematic-prescription-drug-use/opioids/about-good-samaritan-drug-overdose-act.htmlVancouver Coastal Health. (2019). Drug checking. Retrieved from http://www.vch.ca/public-health/harm-reduction/overdose-prevention-response/drug-checking
NorthWestern Health Unit. (2019a). Needle exchange. Retrieved from https://www.nwhu.on.ca/ourservices/DrugAndAlcoholUse/Pages/NeedleExchange.aspx
NorthWestern Health Unit. (2019b). Effectiveness of needle exchange programs. Retrieved from https://www.nwhu.on.ca/ourservices/DrugAndAlcoholUse/Pages/Effectiveness-of-Needle-Exchange-Programs.aspx
Petrar, S., Kerr, T., Tyndall, M. W., Zhang, R., Montaner, J. S. G., & Wood, E. (2007a). Injection drug users’ perceptions regarding use of a medically supervised safer injecting facility. Addictive Behaviors, 32(5), 1088–1093. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.07.013
Shepherd, S. & Caldwell. J. (2017). Toronto overdose action plan. Retrieved from https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/968f-Toronto-Overdose-Action-Plan.pdf