The International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA) has recently released a detailed position statement on the definition of ‘harm reduction’, which outlines a set of underlying principles that best describe this approach. Although the term ‘harm reduction’ has been widely used since the 1980s, there has always been some debate regarding the exact definition. More recently, this has led to concerns that some organisations may hijack the term to justify interventions and policies which would not normally be classed as harm reduction.

Read the new definition.