1 of 6: Prevent Infection

What it is: Provide people who use drugs with supplies like wound care kits and new syringes.

How it helps: By reducing the use of old syringes and other drug use equipment, these supplies prevent the transmission of diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C. They also help people who use drugs treat minor skin infections and wounds.

2 of 6: Prevent and reverse overdoses

What it is: Provide overdose reversal medication such as naloxone to people who use drugs.

How it helps: People who use drugs perform the most bystander overdose reversals. Providing them with naloxone and information about how to use it is an effective way to save lives.

3 of 6: Provide alternatives to injection

What it is: Give safer smoking supplies to people who use drugs.

How it works: Supplies such as new pipes provide a safer alternative to injection. Smoking eliminates the risk of injection-related wounds and infections.

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4 of 6: Distribute personal care supplies

What it is: Give out supplies like toothpaste, toothbrushes, tampons and soap to people who use drugs. During COVID-19, this also includes personal protective products like masks and hand sanitizer.

How it works: People who use drugs may face challenges accessing items that are important for health and comfort. Making personal care items easily available supports quality of life, improves health and reduces the risk of COVID-19.

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5 of 6: Support safe disposal of syringes

What it is: Give out collection boxes for disposing syringes safely.

How it works: When syringes end up in the garbage or on the ground, they can create an injury hazard. Collection boxes make it easier for people to dispose of syringes.

6 of 6: Increased use of medical and social services

What it is: Connecting people with harm reduction services can lead them to access other services, too.

How it works: The organizations providing harm reduction and those providing other essential services such as medical care and recovery support are often the same. By offering harm reduction services, these organizations can meet people where they are and begin to build relationships, often leading more people to access other services, too.