What Interventions are Effective for Reducing Harm Among IDUs?

Several harm reduction strategies have proven effective in mitigating the adverse health effects associated with injecting drug use. These include needle and syringe programs (NSPs), opioid substitution therapy (OST), and supervised injection facilities (SIFs). NSPs provide clean injection equipment to reduce the transmission of bloodborne infections, while OST offers a safer alternative to illicit opioids. SIFs provide a controlled environment where IDUs can inject drugs under medical supervision, reducing the risk of overdose and other health complications.