Harm reduction is about care and compassion while supporting positive changes.
NEWSLETTER
Resources to Help You Help Your Loved One
Harm reduction is a compassionate approach that improves quality of life by keeping loved ones safe, improving health, and strengthening connections. In this newsletter, we'll cover:
Explaining harm reduction
Reducing risks of opioid use
Reducing risks of marijuana use
What is harm reduction?
Harm reduction is any step to reduce risk and increase safety, like wearing seatbelts while driving or sunscreen to protect our skin. There are also harm reduction strategies for substance use like:
Using designated drivers
Medications to reduce cravings
Naloxone to reverse overdoses
Substance-specific harm reduction strategies (learn more below)
Reducing risks of opioid use
Opioids have been involved in most overdoses in the United States over the past several years. One harm reduction strategy for opioid use is medication for opioid use disorder. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, recently stated overdose deaths could be reduced by 50% if these medications were more widely available. Learn more about these strategies here:
You may want your loved one to stop using marijuana, but their goals might be different. Harm reduction for marijuana use involves meeting your loved one where they are and recognizing ways to reduce the associated risks.
One strategy to reduce risks of marijuana use is to use lower potency products as they lower the risk of mental health problems including psychosis.
Learn more and be prepared for a conversation with your loved one:
