The Keith Cooper Scholarship application is open. Apply Now!
Home 9 Health & Wellness 9 Harm Reduction
Health & Wellness

Harm Reduction

What is Harm Reduction?

Harm reduction’s philosophies are simple:

  • reduce the harm associated with substance use by meeting folks where they are at
  • discuss behaviour related to substance use
  • provide supplies for safe consumption.

Harm reduction approaches don’t say “Just don’t use drugs,” because abstinence is only one of many options. Instead, harm reduction arms people with information in order to make their choices safer.

We all practice harm reduction in various ways in our lives already. For example, we know that people are killed by cars every year, but we don’t stop driving. One way to reduce the harm associated with driving is putting a seatbelt on. Another is driving sober. While these measures haven’t eliminated deaths, those rules have reduced the number of deaths.

How to Take a Harm Reduction Approach

  • Test your substances before you take them.
  • Use clean supplies for each use.
  • Make sure that people can access detox in a timely manner if they want to stop using substances.
  • Have a safe consumption site with harm reduction supplies and medical support.

How can I get my substances tested?

Where can I get harm-reduction supplies?

Check out Manitoba 211 (opens in new window) and search Harm Reduction Supplies.

Looking for Help?

Steven Nero

Steven Nero

Mental Health Clinician

Can Help With
Counselling and mental health support. Counselling is offered one-to-one with solution-focused, strength-based, dialectical behaviour therapy, cognitive behavioural ...

930 Portage Ave or 533 Broadway Street, Winnipeg
Read Bio
Steven Nero

Steven Nero

(he/him)

Mental Health Clinician

Can Help With
Counselling and mental health support. Counselling is offered one-to-one with solution-focused, strength-based, dialectical behaviour therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, narrative therapy, attachment, and mindfulness approaches.

Favourite Quote: Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened – Dr. Seuss

Post-secondary Pathway: Bachelor of Arts in psychology, Bachelor of Social Work, current Masters of Social Work student 

Fun Facts

  • I have a puppy Linus and Linus is a Morkie 
  • I loved travelling to the Greek Islands 
  • My favourite food is pasta