Harm reduction strategies can include:
Not driving if you plan on drinking alcohol or using drugs.
Using plastic cups to serve alcohol.
Switching from high alcohol content drinks to low alcohol content drinks.
Staying away from waterways and beaches if you plan on drinking alcohol, to reduce the risk of drowning.
Creating supervised settings for people who inject drugs, so they can be revived if they overdose or receive information about local treatment options, including referral.
Distributing sterile injecting equipment to reduce the spread of blood-borne viruses like HIV and Hepatitis C.
Consuming nicotine in the form of gum and patches instead of smoking cigarettes.
Making sure you know where to get help before you consume drugs, in case something goes wrong.
Ensuring you know what drugs you're taking and whether the combination of drugs you're planning to use could be dangerous.
Avoiding drugs that might interact with other medications prescribed by your doctor. A large number of fatal overdoses are caused by people taking a combination of prescription and non-prescription drugs.
