Harm Reduction for Young People

 Harm Reduction for Young People

Young adults who use drugs face a wide array of sociopolitical, organizational, and structural barriers to accessing harm reduction services, including stigma and social condemnation associated with substance use, fear of law enforcement, and, in some settings, policies that restrict access on the basis of age. Expansion of harm reduction education in school health curriculum, nurse distribution of harm reduction materials, and naloxone access in schools may require changes to local laws. Good Samaritan laws, which encourage people to call for help if they are witnessing an overdose, can encourage help-seeking and engagement by protecting witnesses from drug-related arrests. In areas where syringes are criminalized, fear of arrest may be even more pronounced, and individuals may avoid seeking out harm reduction services.

The expansion of harm reduction approaches into nontraditional venues, should include places such as: 

1. pharmacies, 

2. schools, 

3. drop-in centers, 
   

1. clubs, and

2. social service agencies (including shelters).

Along with providing clean materials/equipment, harm reduction agencies should also counsel young people on the importance of safer sex practices such as using condoms during sexual intercourse. If a harm reduction agency has the capacity, they should design programs that are developmentally appropriate and engage with today's youth because every youth has the ability and right to be active agents in their own health promotion and in the broader community.