o The social and economic costs of widespread drug use within a community ( e . g ., stigma and social exclusion , alienation from the family , loss of employment , lack of financial resources due to the cost of drugs ). o The economic costs of treating people living with HIV / AIDS . o The legal costs associated with the justice system and the imprisoning of drug users . o The criminalisation of drug use resulting in fear of persecution , human rights abuses , social marginalisation and denial of basic health care and other social services to people who use drugs .
The aim of harm reduction
The aim of harm reduction programmes is to allow people to make their own behaviour change goals – harm reduction programmes never impose behaviour change goals on individuals . Harm reduction principles emphasise that the people engaged in drug use or other behaviour that may put them at risk are the primary agents of change . Harm reduction efforts emphasise the dignity and human rights of all members of a society , including drug users . Harm reduction programmes aim to protect all members of the community from crime by engaging with the affected community and developing strategies together , and protecting all members of the community from sexual or vertical transmission of HIV by focusing on people who use drugs , their sexual partners , and , in the case of pregnancy , the foetus .
The philosophy of harm reduction
The philosophy of harm reduction is to encourage drug users to choose their own behaviour change goals and progress towards reduced harm and improved health at their own pace . Importantly , harm reduction does not stigmatise those who practice high-risk behaviour , recognising that such behaviours result from complex social , environmental , economic , cultural and personal factors .
The Principles of Harm Reduction
Principle one : short-term pragmatic goals