SUMMARY - Harm Reduction Services
Every day in Canada, people die from drug overdosesâdeaths that are largely preventable with interventions we know how to provide. Harm reduction represents a pragmatic approach to substance use that prioritizes keeping people alive and reducing negative consequences, even when abstinence is not achieved or desired. These services remain controversial, with debates touching on fundamental questions about drug policy, public health, individual responsibility, and what communities owe their most vulnerable members.