Harm reduction is billed as a social approach to substance use. Created by people who have lived through addiction, harm reduction doesn't always have a firm, pre-ordained goal, such as sobriety. It employs a more nuanced approach that embraces smaller steps, such as using clean needles for drug injections or reducing frequency of drug use. It seeks to reduce the stigma many drug users encounter and help them better manage their health.
Genoa Clark is the program director of Choice Health Network, and works with Knoxville-based Positively Living. In this edition of HealthConnnections, Clark tells Dr. Carole Myers what harm reduction is all about, and the ways it can improve health beyond its core participants.