Harm Reduction related to Substance Use, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C

The official position of the Canadian AIDS Society on Harm Reduction and HIV/AIDS

The official position of the Canadian AIDS Society on Harm Reduction and Substance Abuse

Learning from Each Other: Enhancing Community-Based Harm Reduction Programs and Practices in Canada


Background

Experts Worldwide recognize that much of the harms associated with illegal drugs are a direct result of the criminalization of drugs. Contrary to the values of a just and compassionate society, Canadian drug laws disproportionately impact vulnerable and marginalized groups, including women, prisoners, street-involved youth and Aboriginal populations. They also play a significant role in the continued rise in HIV infections among people who use drugs. In the research, high-risk injection practices, for example, have been linked to drug enforcement policies. As well, they diminish the availability and effectiveness of care, treatment and support for people living with HIV/AIDS, including access to cannabis for medical purposes. Current drug laws also place the health of all Canadians at risk by diverting resources away from evidence-based public health measures and investing heavily in policies and practices that research has shown to be ineffective.

Problematic substance use is a health issue shaped by complex social and other factors. Successful responses to problematic substance use, therefore, need to include the full range of health promotion, prevention, treatment, enforcement, and harm reduction approaches to address these factors. Harm reduction is a philosophy that takes into account the diversity of individual needs and available approaches when dealing with substance use issues. Based on the principles of human rights and respect for individual choices, It is a non-judgmental approach to working with people who use drugs.

The CAS Board of Directors supports re-examination of Canada's drug laws and policies within a framework of substance use as a health and social issue. Specifically, the CAS Board of Directors supports the removal of legal barriers to the implementation of harm reduction strategies, including supervised consumption sites and needle exchange programs in prisons. As well, the CAS Board of Directors urges the consideration of different approaches to substance use regulation, such as medicalization, decriminalization, and legalization, in combination with government control on sales, distribution and advertising.

Questions to Ask Local Candidates

1) What is your party's position on the current "war on drugs" and Canada's approach to substance use?

2) What will your party do to ensure that harm reduction approaches are included in the overall strategy to address problematic substance use in Canada?

3) Has your party considered alternative approaches to current drug laws? If yes, please describe your proposed approach.