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Harm Reduction Essay

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This program will be based on the fundamental principles of harm reduction. Harm reduction is a pragmatic approach to reducing individual and social harms associated with drug use, especially the risk of HIV infection. This approach accepts that certain interventions focused on diminishing the harmfulness of a substance, even if they increase the extent of substance use, may be able to reduce the total adverse consequences on the individual, as well as society (Meulen & Ka Hon Chu, 2015). In regards to high risk behaviour for the transmission of HIV in prison (e.g., needle-sharing), harm reduction approaches acknowledge that there are no known effective solutions for completely eliminating drug-use or drug-related problems in the community …show more content…

Access to sterile injection equipment has been demonstrated to be one of the most important strategies to prevent HIV transmission among IDU’s (Manghera, 2014). Prison needle-exchange programs, whereby inmates can obtain sterile needles free of charge in exchange for used ones, have been implemented in numerous jurisdictions worldwide including Switzerland, Germany, Spain Scotland, and Armenia (Dolan, 2014). It is imperative to implement such programs even in the presence of needle decontamination techniques, such as bleach, which are not always effective due to prisoners not following the correct disinfecting procedures (Manghera, 2014). Although there has been no needle exchange program in Canadian corrections, other countries have reported various success and an overall reduction in HIV transmission. Furthermore, needle-exchange programs in the community have also been successful in decreasing the risk of HIV. For example in Saskatchewan needle exchange programs have led to a decrease in HIV and other disease transmission by one third (Canadian Public Health Association,

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