Today is International Harm Reduction Day – an opportunity to recognise the vital role of evidence-based public health policy, human rights advocacy, and stigma-free approaches to reducing drug-related harm.
Observed every year on the 7th May, the day shines a light on the essential work being done to support people who use drugs – without judgement and delivering practical, evidence-based programs that reduce harm, save lives, and treat every person with dignity and respect.
At North Richmond Community Health, we work across harm reduction in a number of ways, including our AOD Outreach and Community Engagement Program, our Needle and Syringe Program, our Proactive Overdose Response Initiative (PORI) and its free overdose first aid training, our Advocacy and Client Empowerment (ACE) team, and the Medically Supervised Injecting Room (MSIR). Every day, this work helps us support our community and clients, and reduce drug-related harm.
Why this work matters
We asked Cari, Team Leader of our Outreach and Engagement team, to share what draws him to this work.
“Harm reduction is the ethos that ‘no one is disposable’ in action. I work in harm reduction because I believe that all people, regardless of what we’ve been through, have a fundamental right to life, dignity, autonomy and self-determination.
Harm reduction meets people where they’re at and trusts people as the experts on their own lives. When practiced through a liberatory framework, it empowers people to be in the driver’s seat of their lives and wellbeing.
It is the acknowledgement that we are all in this together, that no one should be left behind, that we all deserve care, and that we all have a responsibility to look out for each other.”
Pictured: Cari Royer, Team Leader of the Outreach and Engagement team at North Richmond Community Health
Our commitment
North Richmond Community Health is proud to work with colleagues like Cari who bring this ethos to life and work every day – in our clinic, in our neighbourhood, and in the relationships we build with the people we serve.
On this day, we honour everyone working toward a world where no one is left behind.
