Harm reduction is lessening negative consequences associated with living life (which sometimes includes behaviour that might be risky).
Harm reduction as a strategy includes policies and programs focused on keeping people safe and reducing harms like injuries, disease and deaths from “high-risk” behaviour, especially related to drugs and alcohol. Harm reduction recognizes that the “high-risk” behaviour may continue despite the risks and teaches people how to reduce these risks.
Harm Reduction is “having what we need to be able to live safer” – Syrus Marcus Ware
For example; having access to food, shelter, water, safe drugs, access to health care, healthy land, housing and other things we need to live full, healthy, and happy lives. In other words; it is having the tools that we need for survival. Harm reduction can be seen as a way of life that focused on creating the conditions that we need to survive.
Commonly we hear harm reduction talked about in relation to drug use, but it can apply to many life situations.
Harm Reduction and Substances
Harm reduction challenges stigma (people judging and calling something or someone bad). It meets people where they are at, and focuses on their goals. One of the ways it does this is by separating people from behaviour. Harm reduction doesn’t call drugs or substances bad but instead looks at the context of drug use which is sometimes bad or can cause harm.
For example; having a couple drinks isn’t dangerous for many people. But having a couple drinks and then driving is very dangerous for most people and is illegal. A harm reduction approach to drinking and transportation might be taking a taxi to and from the party or getting a ride with friends and a designated driver (someone who isn’t drinking that night).
Harm Reduction is reducing the harm associated with drugs being illegal. - Raffi
In this definition Raffi highlights that drug use in itself isn’t the cause of harm for many people. But the fact that they are illegal creates harm for many people who use them, and bring them in contact with systems that are harmful—such as the criminal justice and prison systems.
Harm Reduction, Sex and Dating
Applying harm reduction to your life sometimes requires you to know yourself really well and see your patterns. For example; Jay tends to drop off with their friends when they start dating someone new, then their friends get mad and when the relationship ends they have no friends left to connect with. A harm reduction practice in dating for Jay might be to talk to their friends about the pattern Jay notices, and to ask their friends to check in on them and remind them of this when they have different relationships. This might help Jay avoid losing friends and become completely isolated if the relationship ends.
A harm reduction approach to drug use and sex could be discussing boundaries to stick within before drinking alcohol or doing drugs*. Another example is mixing sex and drugs only with people you trust a lot. Harm reduction approaches acknowledge that drugs and alcohol can positively influence romantic and/or sexual encounters in contexts that everyone feels safe in and with people you trust.
*note: that no matter what plan you have - if something harmful happens that you don’t consent to, it is not your fault.
Another great harm reduction practice is to have a friend check in on you at the end of a date night to make sure you’re ok. This is especially helpful if you’re going out with a new person or to a new place.
TRIPP - http://tripproject.ca/
Program: https://pqwchc.org/programs-services/harm-reduction/trip-website/
Resource: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/harm-reduction