Harm reduction in Europe: Histories, choices and hopes - Collection commemorating 20 years of C-EHRN
Harm Reduction in Europe: The Past, Present, and Future
Europe has seen a wide variety of harm reduction strategies over the years. From needle exchange programs aimed at reducing the spread of HIV among people who use drugs, to supervised consumption rooms that provide a safer space for substance use, the continent has been at the forefront of innovative harm reduction policies. However, these approaches have not been without controversy and have evolved significantly over time.
As we reflect on the history and practices of harm reduction in Europe, we see a tapestry of different models, policies, and paradigms. The past few decades have witnessed a shift from punitive drug policies, which criminalize drug use, to more compassionate, health-focused approaches. Further, the mainstream harm reduction paradigm has seen an evolution from a health focus, with prioritized professional-led prevention of infectious diseases, towards a more holistic and autonomous view of an individual, and community-led, grassroots initiatives proliferating in recent years. Yet, the journey has been complex and uneven, with different regions adopting harm reduction at different paces and to varying extents.
In the present day, harm reduction in Europe stands at a crucial juncture. While significant progress has been made, challenges remain, including the ongoing stigma faced by people who use drugs, the need for greater and more equitable access to harm reduction services, especially for specific vulnerable groups, and chronic precarity of funding, both in terms of instability and insufficient resources.
Looking ahead, we are interested in exploring innovative and creative visions for the future of harm reduction in Europe. How can we build on the lessons of the past and present to create a more inclusive, effective, and compassionate approach to drug use? How can we ensure that harm reduction services are accessible to all who need them, regardless of where they live or their socioeconomic status?
Articles in the collection:
- 50 years of harm reduction in Europe: high time for transformation
Authors: Iga Jeziorska, Thomas F. Martinelli, John-Peter Kools
Full Text PDF - Trends in distribution of harm-reduction equipment for persons who use drugs in Norway, 2016–2022
Authors: Jens Christoffer Skogen, Katharina Natalie Gottschlich, Martin Blindheim, Janne Årstad
Full Text PDF - Four decades of overdose prevention centres: lessons for the future from a realist review
Authors: Jolie R. Keemink, Alex Stevens, Sam Shirley-Beavan, Zarnie Khadjesari, Gillian W. Shorter
Full Text PDF - City-level drug policies in Portugal: the COVID-19 pandemic as an analyser of harm reduction responsiveness in Porto and Lisbon
Authors: Cristiana Vale Pires, Adriana Curado, Ricardo Fuertes, Maria Carmo Carvalho, Helena Valente
Full Text PDF - Relational anonymity in reducing the harms of illicit drug use: accounts of users of dark web- and street-based services in Finland
Authors: Johanna Ranta, Teemu Kaskela, Juha Nurmi, Teemu Ruokolainen, Gillian W. Shorter
Full Text PDF - Progress and challenges in the elimination of hepatitis C among people who inject drugs in Germany
Authors: Gyde Steffen, Amrei Krings, Sarah Guttmann, Nadine Lübke, Kristin Meyer-Schlinkmann, Carsten Tiemann, Jörg Timm, Andreas Walker, Ruth Zimmermann
Full Text PDF - Harm reduction and its monitoring in Europe, from EMCDDA to EUDA
Author: Alexis Goosdeel
Full Text PDF - Exploring drug consumption rooms as ‘inclusion health interventions’: policy implications for Europe
Authors: Benjamin D. Scher, Benjamin W. Chrisinger, David K. Humphreys, Gillian W. Shorter
Full Text PDF - Who is the drug user activist?: recounting the conceptualisation of drug user activism in the United Kingdom
Authors: Raymond John S. Naguit, Shayla S. Schlossenberg, Praveena K. Fernes
Full Text PDF - Challenges and support needs among persons with a migration background who use drugs in four European metropolitan cities
Authors: Aline Pouille, Clara De Ruysscher, Lena van Selm, Jan van Amsterdam, Wim van den Brink, Machteld Busz, Roberto Perez Gayo, Marios Atzemis, Wouter Vanderplasschen
Full Text PDF - How far are we? Civil society monitoring of hepatitis C response towards WHO 2030 goals in 25 European countries (2020–2023)
Authors: Mojca Maticic, J. Cernosa, C. Loboda, J. Tamse, R. Rigoni, E. Duffell, I. Indave, R. Zimmermann, L. Darragh, J. Moura, A. Leicht, T. Windelinckx, M. Jauffret-Roustide, K. Schiffer, T. Tammi
Full Text PDF - Europe must continue to lead on harm reduction
Authors: Brendan Kahn, Michel Kazatchkine
Full Text PDF - Reframing Dutch drug policies: a new era for harm reduction
Authors: Machteld Busz, Katrin Schiffer, Ancella Voets, Alice Pomfret
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