Principles of Harm Reduction center the rights, dignity, autonomy, and practical safety of people who use drugs and communities affected by drug policy

Harm reduction centers the dignity, autonomy, and lived realities of people who use drugs rather than demanding abstinence as a precondition for care, respect, or support. Its core principles treat drug use as part of the world, focus on minimizing preventable harm, and insist that policies and services meet people where they are. The framework emphasizes nonjudgmental, noncoercive support, recognition of social inequalities, and the active involvement of drug users in shaping programs and decisions that affect them. Health risks are understood in context, including poverty, racism, trauma, stigma, and criminalization. Practical safety, compassionate services, and human rights sit at the center of this approach. Broader implications include support for evidence-based public health measures, opposition to punitive drug policy, and stronger community conditions that reduce overdose, disease transmission, and other avoidable harms.