Harm reduction in action! In this hour long documentary the Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center shows how harm reduction services such as needle exchange programs not only reduce drug related harms for communities and for individual drug users, but also how these programs can be a gateway to connect drug users with mental health services, substance use treatment services, and much more. Harm reduction experts Scott Kellogg, Ethan Nadelmann, Stanton Peele, Maia Szalavitz, and Andrew Tatarsky talk about how engagement tools such as syringe exchange work to reduce harms and increase motivation to engage in higher threshold services and LESHRC staff demonstrate these services in action. Topics covered include syringe exchange, outreach and peer deliver programs, harm reduction psychotherapy, harm reduction housing, overdose prevention and reversal with Narcan (naloxone), HIV testing, and more. 

Harm reduction is far more than putting a band aid on a problem; for many drug users harm reduction is the first step towards becoming abstinent from drug

The Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center (LESHRC)

is a culturally diverse, community based, non-profit organization whose mission is to reduce the spread of HIV and drug-related harm among injection drug users and the community. Using a harm reduction philosophy, the center provides programs that are based on the non-judgmental acceptance of drug users, evidence-based health science, and human rights. We accomplish this goal by offering a spectrum of practical strategies, ranging from safer use to abstinence. In this supportive environment, we provide safe injection equipment as well as the latest information on HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, risk-reduction strategies, and safer sex practices. Ultimately, we aim to advance individual and collective strength as well as enhance the long-term well-being of drug users and the community.