Harm Reduction
July 21, 2022 Addictions
Psychosocial Workers
A pragmatic and humanistic approach based on a simple observation: drug addiction exists in society, despite the criminalization of drug use and possession.
These leaves us a choice: to control drug use and mitigate its harmful effects through safety and sanitary measures or, to try to control it with laws that lead to imprisonment.
6 principles for action
- To control drug use by people experiencing addiction
- Inform, educate, and communicate effectively about drug use
- Provide psychosocial support
- Provide sterilized and single-use equipment
- Offer substitution treatments, especially for opioid dependence
- Refer people to other medical or social resources
Did you know?
The term “réduction des méfaits” has been adopted by Quebec - and translators from English Canada - as a translation of the term “harm reduction,” which was first coined in Britain when the concept was introduced and has become its name of reference. In Europe (in France, Switzerland, and Belgium, for example) the less literal translation “risk reduction” is more commonly used.
Source : aidedrogue.ca
