Individuals inherently deserve services that promote health, regardless of whether they use drugs. Evidence-based harm reduction strategies minimize negative consequences of drug use. These activities further expand access to harm reduction interventions and better integrate harm reduction into general medical care.
This page highlights current federal activities that promote harm reduction by increasing the availability and access to high-quality harm reduction services, decreasing negative effects of substance use, and reducing stigma related to substance use and overdose.
Advance research and demonstrations on innovative harm reduction approaches.
Featured Activity Facilitate evidence-based use of Fentanyl Testing Strips (FTS) and drug checking utilization in community and clinical settings
Because the presence of fentanyl mixed with other types of drugs poses a significant risk of accidental overdose and is often hard to detect, NIDA and FDA are supporting research to investigate the effectiveness of rapid-acting fentanyl test strips in modifying drug use behaviors and exploring drug checking needs in clinical settings.
Lead Agencies:
NIH, FDA
Partner Agencies:
CDC, SAMHSA
Implementing Comprehensive HIV Services in Syringe Services Program (SSP) Settings
Lead Agency:
NIH
Partner Agency:
CDC
Widening access to opioid overdose reversal treatments
Lead Agency:
FDA
Promote evidence-based harm reduction services, including those that are integrated with health care delivery.
Featured Activity CDC-SAMHSA Harm Reduction Technical Assistance Program
Syringe services programs (SSPs) help reduce injection-related health risks if an individual who uses drugs has a sterile syringe and proper equipment for every injection. The CDC-SAMHSA Harm Reduction Technical Assistance Program will strengthen the capacity and improve the performance of SSPs by implementing a national SSP monitoring and evaluation program. It will also support the development and implementation of best practices for patient navigation from SSPs to community-based health and social services.
Lead Agency:
CDC
Partner Agency:
SAMHSA
Prevent Prescription Drug/Opioid Overdose Related Deaths
Lead Agency:
SAMHSA
Expand sustainable funding strategies for harm reduction services.
Featured Activity Harm Reduction Grants
The SAMHSA Harm Reduction Grants program awards funding to states, local, tribal, territorial governments and organizations, community-based organizations, and providers to support overdose prevention programs, syringe services programs and other related services.
Lead Agency:
SAMHSA
Partner Agency:
CDC
Mobile Crisis Intervention Services Planning Grants and State Option in Medicaid
Lead Agency:
CMS
Partner Agency:
SAMHSA
Develop educational materials and programs to reduce stigma.
Featured Activity Stop Overdose Campaign
CDC’s Stop Overdose campaign, which builds on CDC’s Rx Awareness campaign, educates people who use drugs about the dangers of illicitly manufactured fentanyl, the risks and consequences of mixing drugs, the lifesaving power of naloxone, and the importance of reducing stigma around recovery and treatment options.
Lead Agency:CDC