Take Action in Secondary Schools

SECTION II:
Understanding Substance Use and Abuse in the School Community

Harm Reduction

Adopting a harm reduction approach is not condoning drug related behaviours or use. Harm reduction addresses the fact that not all individuals will accept or be capable of pursuing abstinence as an option.

A harm reduction approach has been advocated as a strategy for drug education in school based settings. A recent Canadian study found that harm minimization was in fact effective in reducing the negative consequences and prevalence of several risks related to substance use in the senior high school population; it was not effective with younger adolescents. This speaks to the need to recognize the complexity of drug education and effective interventions. (1)

Harm reduction aims to reduce the severity, frequency and adverse effect of substance abuse. Emphasis is placed on improving functioning and lifestyle, rather than on stopping drug use, which can be more effective at promoting motivation to change in youth.

Established interventions in the field of addictions range from prevention through treatment, and from programs that require complete abstinence to harm reduction approaches that accept ongoing use.

Harm reduction is grounded in the empirical knowledge of a continuum of drug use, where harm may occur at any level. The extent of use, or use itself, is not the issue. The primary focus of harm reduction is on people who are already experiencing some harm due to their substance use. The most appropriate interventions, whether individual or community based, are those geared to movement from more to less harm. Thus, the definition of harm reduction is:

"any policy or program designed to reduce drug-related harm without requiring the cessation of drug use. Interventions may be targeted at the individual, the family, community, or society."(2)

The harm reduction approach may be more appealing to youth as a first step in connecting with them to identify their use and how it is affecting areas of their life. Many of the strategies used in harm reduction provide skills that will be beneficial and empower individuals in concrete ways to make positive changes.

Applied to school settings, harm reduction may be focused on strategies to reduce the incidence of substance use and driving or to promote safe partying.

Applied to treatment settings, requesting a reduction in use or in risk behaviours associated with substance use is considered appropriate. Individuals may want to change substance use patterns, but abstinence may be difficult to achieve. Pressing for an attainable goal early in the treatment process is important. Positive feedback and success act as motivation for further positive changes.

privacy policy acknowledgements contact us feedback