“Harm reduction is much more than a set of practices; it’s a way of relating to people. We’re not requiring you to stop using or do anything. We’re just trying to help you get healthier. At least you’re not going to suffer an infection of the bone marrow because you’re using a clean needle: is that not worth something? We’re here to reduce suffering. They may not get better in the sense of giving up the addiction, but that’s not a limit of harm reduction that’s a limit of the treatment system.” -Gabor Mate

It all began with the Goddess of Harm Reduction. Edith Springer. She was a social worker who became one of the most influential people in the movement's history. She began by distributing bleach kits to fight HIV in the US in the late 80’s.  So, Harm Reduction, as we have come to understand it and as it pertains to substance use, stems from one woman's efforts.

During the late 1980s, Canada became an early pioneer of contemporary harm reduction approaches in response to rising rates of HIV infection among people who inject drugs. Peer-driven and informal syringe distribution emerged in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver in 1988, and in 1989, the federal Department of Health partnered with five provinces to implement eight official programs in major Canadian cities. Today, most of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories have syringe distribution programs.

Source: Undoing Drugs By Mala Szalavitz, Balance, 2021

By Ashley Legere