Harm Reduction Resource Center

Every day, we engage in some form of harm reduction. We wash our hands to prevent the spread of diseases like the common cold or the flu. Similarly, putting on a seatbelt when in a car or on a bus can reduce injuries should there be an accident.

When it comes to harm reduction around using substances, most of us are familiar with measures like having a designated driver when drinking. Harm reduction does not mean asking people to stop drinking or to cut down on their drinking. Instead, when we use a designated driver, we are trying to make the roads safer and lower the risks of a fatal alcohol-involved accident.

Harm reduction extends the ideas of safety and lowering risks to other substances. It includes abstinence but doesn’t rely on it as the only way to move toward wellness.