Harm Reduction
By Elizabeth Hartney, About.com Guide
Safe Drinking
As the most commonly abused drug, and the addictive behavior most likely to lead to accidents, alcohol has the widest range of socially accepted harm reduction strategies. Many are aimed at young people, who are especially vulnerable to the risks of drinking, but older adults can also stay safe through following basic harm reduction techniques.
- How Much is it Safe to Drink While Pregnant?
- Drinking While Breastfeeding
- Underage Drinking With Your Teen
- Controlling Your Alcohol Consumption
- When No Alcohol is Best
Safe Injecting
As drug injecting is one of the most hazardous of the addictive behaviors, IV drug users are most in need of harm reduction strategies. While some communities provide good harm reduction supports to injection drug users, such as needle exchanges, and safe injection sites, many IV drug users resort to their own harm reduction techniques, such as cleaning needles for reuse.
- What is a Needle Exchange?
- How to Find a Needle Exchange Program
- Safe Injection Sites
- How to Disinfect Your Syringes
- Drug Users Can Prevent Overdoses
Safe Sex
Sex has always carried risks of unplanned pregnancy and STDs, but since the 1980s, the risk of HIV infection through unprotected sex has lead to various harm reduction programs and recommendations.
