What is Harm Reduction?
Harm reduction is a comprehensive package of policies and programmes which attempt primarily to reduce the adverse health, social and economic consequences of mood altering substances to individuals, drug users, their families and their communities.
Harm reduction does not conflict with abstinence as a strategy for reducing drug related harm, but gives priority to the more urgent and practical goal of reducing harm for users who cannot be expected to stop using at the present time. The approach acknowledges that no method to eliminate drug use has been entirely successful, and that HIV/AIDS presents a more serious global threat than drug use itself.
