What is Harm Reduction?

Harm reduction can refer a range of activities, including programs and policies, that aim to reduce the potentially adverse health, social and economic consequences of substance use, without requiring abstinence from substances. Inherent in the harm reduction approach is a way of working with people that “meets people where they are at” in a client-centered, non-judgmental, pragmatic way, regardless of whether they are using substances or not.

In the context of the drug poisoning and policy crisis that has created an increasingly unpredictable and toxic unregulated supply, harm reduction supports keep people alive.

Overdose Prevention

Overdose remains a concern in Waterloo Region, Ontario, and across Canada. The following pages provide information on preventing overdose:

Harm Reduction for Other Substances

Here are resources and tools to help start a conversation about reducing harms associated with use for various substances:

 

 

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