Harm Reduction

HARM REDUCTION

At CAAN, harm reduction is an essential part of our work to wholistically addressing HIV, HCV, STBBIs, mental health, and wellbeing. Harm reduction is an approach that uses practical strategies to reduce adverse health outcomes that can come from drug or alcohol use, or sex. Evidence based approaches, like Naloxone, Opioid Replacement Therapy, overdose prevention sites, outreach, and education, are just a few of the ways that people keep themselves safer. Though, we know that these strategies on their own cannot capture the complexity of our needs and realities. The roots of people’s use are intertwined with colonial encounters, intergenerational traumas, and other forms of systemic oppression. Stigma that surrounds peoples use of drugs, alcohol, or sex for pleasure or survival is one of the greatest harms that people navigate. Non-judgement, non-interference, care, respect, humility, and connection are Indigenous values. These values are also inherent in harm reduction. As such, we began to engage with our Communities, Alliances, and Networks to develop an Indigenous harm reduction bundle that embodies these connections- full of timely resources, stories, and findings from our Indigenous harm reduction research to date. UPDATES ON OUR CURRENT HARM REDUCTION RESEARCH COMING SOON!