May 26, 2014
Corresponding author: Thomas Kerr uhri-tk@cfenet.ubc.ca
Author Affiliations
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, 608 - 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
Harm Reduction Journal 2014, 11:7 doi:10.1186/1477-7517-11-7
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ABSTRACT
There has been widespread support for harm reduction programs as an essential component for responding to the HIV and illicit drug use epidemics. However, despite the growing international acceptance of harm reduction, there continues to be strong opposition to this approach, with critics alleging that harm reduction programs enable drug use. Vancouver, Canada provides a compelling case study that demonstrates that many positive impacts of harm reduction can be attained while addiction treatment-related goals are simultaneously supported. While the evidence for harm reduction is clearly mounting, it is unfortunate that ideological and political barriers to implementing harm reduction programs in Canada remain. As evidenced by Vancouver and elsewhere, harm reduction programs do not exacerbate drug use and undermine treatment efforts and should thereby occupy a well-deserved space within the continuum of programs and services offered to people who inject drugs.
The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/11/1/7
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