Our initiatives are based on
The Principles of harm reduction
What is harm reduction?
Harm reduction is the pragmatic acceptance of the fact that people will use drugs, and that no amount of punishment, condemnation, ostracizing, shaming, or wishful thinking will change that.
1
Harm reduction is a belief in, and respect for, the dignity and rights of people who use drugs.
2
Harm reduction understands drug use as a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon that encompasses a continuum of behaviors — from severe use to managed use to total abstinence — acknowledging that some ways of using drugs are clearly safer than others.
3
Harm reduction focuses on reducing risk rather than eliminating risky behavior. It is both a philosophy and a set of practical strategies aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use.
4
Harm reduction recognizes that the realities of poverty, class, racism, social isolation, past trauma, sex-based discrimination, and other social inequalities affect both people’s vulnerability to and capacity for effectively dealing with drug-related harm.
5
Harm reduction does not attempt to minimize or ignore the real and tragic harm and danger that can be associated with illicit drug use.
6
Harm reduction recognizes that stigma and shame are barriers to human health and well being, and considers the impact of stigma and discrimination for people who use drugs as a violation of their human rights and dignity.
7
Harm reduction establishes quality of individual and community life and well-being — not necessarily cessation of all drug use — as the criteria for successful interventions and policies.
8
Harm reduction affirms that people who use drugs are the primary agents of reducing the harms of their own drug use and seeks to empower them to share information and support each other in strategies which meet their actual conditions of use.
9
Harm reduction demands that people who use drugs and those with a lived experience of drug use have a real voice in the creation of programs and policies designed to serve them.
10
Harm reduction can and does save lives.
Help save lives in Colorado
We can save lives AND create healthier communities by providing a safe place for people who use drugs to find care and connection, without stigma or fear of criminalization.