Harm Reduction: An Overview and Resources in Denver

Today, we see a wide range of conversations less visible in years past regarding innovative solutions to social issues, and aiding those struggling with addiction is no exception. One practice that’s become increasingly more prominent in the lexicon today is “harm reduction,” but what exactly is harm reduction, and how does it work to combat the negative consequences of drug use?

As a baseline, harm reduction acts as a set of practical strategies and ideas that work to reduce those negative consequences of drug use, a social justice movement built on a belief in, and respect for, the rights of people who use drugs.

The National Harm Reduction Coalition says harm reduction encompasses ideas like safer use, managed use, abstinence, meeting people who use drugs “where they’re at,” and addressing conditions of use along with the use itself.

“Because harm reduction demands that interventions and policies designed to serve people who use drugs reflect specific individual and community needs, there is no universal definition of or formula for implementing harm reduction,” the website states.

The coalition also notes the principles central to harm reduction practice:

Harm reduction accepts, for better or worse, that the licit and illicit use of drugs is part of our world and chooses to minimize the harmful effects, rather than ignoring or condemning them. It also understands that drug use is complex and multi-faceted, encompassing a continuum of behaviors ranging from severe use to total abstinence.

It establishes quality of individual and community life and well-being as the criteria for successful interventions and policies, not necessarily that everyone just “stops using drugs,” and calls for the non-judgmental, non-coercive provision of services and resources to people who use drugs and their communities. Harm reduction also affirms that people who use drugs themselves are the primary party that reduces the harm of their drug use and seeks to empower those people to share information and support each other.

Finally, harm reduction looks to recognize the intersectional realities of poverty, class, racism, social isolation, past trauma, and other social inequities that might change their experience, vulnerability, and capacity to effectively deal with drug related harm. 

It does not attempt to minimize or ignore the real, tragic harm and danger that can come with illicit drug use.

One example in Denver is overdose prevention. Because drugs like cocaine have the potential to contain other substances that can lead to adverse reactions or even death, many push for the testing of drugs before folks decide to use them. Denver’s Department of Public Health & Environment offers Naloxone or Narcan, which is used in the case of an overdose, and fentanyl testing strips, which work to help prevent fatal and non-fatal overdoses surrounding fentanyl and other, unexpected drugs upon use. 

Folks can learn more about obtaining test trips through Denver at denvergov.org, and though there might be delays, the city is shipping the strips for free.

Conversations surrounding safe consumption sites have also made the rounds, with Denver’s Harm Reduction Action Center acting as the state’s largest public health agency working specifically with people who inject drugs. The center gives folks the opportunity to dispose of used syringes; access sterile syringes, meth and crack pipes; and offers folks referrals and resources. There is also access to Naloxone, vein care, HIV/HCV/STI testing, access to fentanyl testing strips, supportive service providers, hygiene products, and more.

In the midst of these conversations, some have noted that spaces that serve alcohol are essentially just a more “accepted” safe, supervised consumption site, for alcohol as opposed to other drugs. In relation to the principles of harm reduction, safe consumption sites recognize that people will use drugs whether or not their community has these types of centers. 

Rather than leaving them on their own and prone to the potential risks associated with those drugs, centers like Denver’s Harm Reduction Action Center give folks resources to prevent overdose or potentially seek help with their addictions should they need it, while pushing for care that prevents disease or overdose.

“People use drugs,” the Harm Reduction Action Center FAQ states. “While we wholeheartedly support substance use treatment and recovery efforts, we know that the most effective way to prevent the spread of HIV or Hepatitis C (HCV) is to stop it at its source: the needle. By meeting people who use drugs ‘where they’re at’ in the spectrum of their use, we encourage any positive changes that our participants are ready and able to make.”

Learn more about the Harm Reduction Action Center at harmreductionactioncenter.org.

The Colorado Health Network’s (CHN) Syringe Access Program similarly provides unused, sterile syringes and injection equipment anonymously to reduce the spread of HIV, HCV, and other infections. The program is available at the Denver, Fort Collins, Pueblo, and Grand Junction offices.

In addition, CHN also offers overdose prevention with Naloxone, safer injection and use education, safe disposal, behavioral health and prevention case management, along with additional referrals to local resources. For more information, visit coloradohealthnetwork.org/prevention-health-education/access-point.

These are just a small collection of harm reduction resources and examples in the Denver and Colorado community, recognizing that we won’t “solve” the problems surrounding drug use if we can’t treat those using drugs with respect, limit the potential harm surrounding drug use, and work to help those folks if and when they seek resources to aid in treatment and recovery.

With just a bit of compassion, we may soon work toward a more understanding and safer future for everyone.