Trip Project
At the Trip! Project
We are dedicated to reducing harm by providing non-judgmental info and supplies around safer drug use and safer sex through means that are practical, realistic and attainable for the person. This philosophy and practice is not in opposition to abstinence( ie: the infamous‘ Just Say No’ approach) but recognizes that simply‘ saying no’ is not a realistic, desirable or attainable goal for many of us. Instead, harm reduction offers a broader range of options for anyone looking for ways to sustain their health and wellbeing. In order to know how to reduce harm, first we need to know what the risks are. For example, with alcohol and other drugs there are generally three categories of harm that can be associated with use. Risk of harm will depend on many variables of the use. They are:
1. Quality and Quantity- how much and how often of what substance, taking into consideration the potency and purity of the drug( which is highly variable among illicit substances).
2 Set and Setting- the‘ where’,‘ when’, and‘ with whom’ of doing drugs: both physical environment, including who you are surrounded by, and your own headspace at the time.
3. Route of Administration- the method of consumption: the different ways to get drugs into the person( snorting, shooting, eating, smoking, hooping, etc.) come with different risks.
The focus becomes the ways in which people use rather than whether or not they use. It is based on a reality that people always have and always will use drugs. The above factors of drug use can help us begin to think about the ways that we use so that we can make informed choices.
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