Harm Reduction Coalition: http://harmreduction.org/

Harm Reduction International: http://www.ihra.net/

Global State of Harm Reduction: http://www.ihra.net/contents/1524

Center for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/idu/facts/aed_idu_syr.pdf

What parallels, if any, do you find between the principals of harm reduction and the NASW Code of Ethics? Do you notice any places where the two diverge?

What are some examples of harm reduction that you see in your life and/or work?

One interesting recent application of harm reduction in social services is the "housing first" model. Housing first is an approach to alleviating homelessness that lowers traditional requirements for individuals seeking shelter. Check out the article at the link to learn more.

"There are many angles by which to look at the war on drugs; one angle is that it has been a massive and successful propaganda exercise to demonize drug users. Drug users are first criminalized for using outlawed substances. Then, along with their criminal use of drugs, they are continually suspect for crimes they may be about to commit to obtain drugs. Thus, a 'drug user' becomes a deviant - a transgressor who is incompetent and selfish, destined for jails, institutions or death. The message is that drug users do not care about their own health, the health of their friends or colleagues and certainly not the greater public health."

How can we reconcile the view of drug users described above with the NASW Code of Ethics, which calls on us to recognize the "dignity and worth" of every person? This is one of the many places where, as social workers, it is our duty to critically examine our own biases, whether they come from within us or from the society we live in.

What do we see when we look at an addict? Do we see dignity and worth?

One of the aspects of harm reduction that I most admire is that it demands that we recognize these qualities, even (especially) in people who tend to be deemed unworthy and undignified by much of the rest of society.

From The Atlantic (2012):

Eight federally-funded research reports have concluded that [needle exchange] programs reduce HIV transmission without increasing the use of illicit drugs. In New York City, the rate of new HIV infections among drug users fell 80 percent after the city implemented syringe exchanges.

From the Center for Disease Control (2005):

Syringe exchange programs [SEPs] have been shown to be an effective way to link some hard-to-reach intravenous drug users [IDUs] with important public health services, including TB and STD screening and treatment. Through their referrals to substance abuse treatment, SEPs can help IDUs stop using drugs.