We live in a world where people are imprisoned and executed for drug related crimes as part of the ‘war on drugs’. It is time for leaders at all levels to recognise the futility of this approach and focus instead on strengthening harm reduction efforts as the most cost-effective and humane approach to drug use in our society. […]

Primum non nocere (above all do no harm) is a basic principle in medicine. In treating cancer, heart disease or diabetes, the harms of disease are balanced against the harms of intervening – mastectomy, amputation, chemotherapy and the side-effects of medicines. Minimising harm is the everyday work of a doctor. There are tradeoffs too in public health – in preventing…

I challenge anyone who doubts the appropriateness of the harm reduction approach to spend a day with people who inject drugs on the streets of Sydney’s Kings Cross. They should then explain how removing services that have been shown to effectively reduce the immediate harms faced while comprehensively addressing the usually complex underlying reasons that people are living in this…

Jake is a Research Fellow with the Centre for Social Research in Health (CSRH), UNSW Sydney, where for over 10 years he has worked with people who inject drugs, including those living with hepatitis C or imprisoned. Jake sits on the editorial board of the International Journal of Drug Policy and the Harm Reduction Journal and works closely with government…

A/Prof James Ward is Head of Infectious Diseases Research – Aboriginal Health at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute in Adelaide. He is of the Pitjantjatjara and Nurrunga peoples from central and south Australia. James has extensive experience in sexual health and blood borne virus research, and alcohol and other drug use in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander…

Australia can be a country where people who use drugs are treated with respect, dignity and empathy.  Good drug policy will help us to achieve this. We will only have good policy however, if we share and act upon our knowledge, to promote greater understanding of harm reduction as an essential element of our health system response to drug use.…

Jenny Heslop is currently the Manager of HIV, Sexual Health, Viral Hepatitis & Harm Reduction Programs across NSW North Coast. She has worked in these fields for over 31years and was instrumental in the roll out of Harm Reduction/NSP Services in NSW from the late 1980’s to current. Jenny has a range of experience working as a frontline provider, policy…

I am supportive of Harm Reduction Australia’s key objectives and would be happy to support the goals wherever possible. Jill is the CEO of WANDA and has worked in the alcohol and other drug sector for over 20 years, employed in a leadership role at the Western Australian Network of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies (WANADA) since 2000. […]

Harm Reduction Australia plays a pivotal role in ensuring Australia’s drug policies and practice are evidence informed and aligned to minimise drug related harms for all people in the community. John Rogerson has been Chief Executive of the Australian Drug Foundation (ADF) since 2008 and has over 20 years’ experience in the alcohol and other drugs field. […]

Julie is the Principal of Urban Realists, a town planning, health and safety consultancy providing advice and support to non-government organisations representing sex workers and people who use drugs illicitly. She provides specialist advice to the NSW sex industry and other stakeholders on various aspects of legislation and local government regulation, health promotion and harm reduction and research needs. […]