What is harm reduction?

Harm reduction means encouraging people to adopt practices that will help them to reduce risk associated with a particular behaviour (for example injection drug use) without expecting the person to stop the behaviour.  Harm reduction approaches have been proven effective in improving health through reduced transmission of HIV, STI, reduced rates of overdose, reduced rates of infection and decrease of the negative effects of drug use on individuals and communities.

Harm reduction can be defined as a set of strategies and tactics that encourages people to reduce harm to themselves and their communities, through the sharing of relevant information, facts and practical material tools, that will allow them to make informed and educated decisions.

Nine Circles Community Health Center believes that working from a harm reduction approach allows us to support individuals, families and communities in making healthy decisions directed towards reducing the negative health, social and economic consequences of attitudes and environments that may increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI), HIV and Hepatitis C.