Harm Minimisation Strategy and its Impact on Drug-related Harm in Australia

Running Head: HEALTHCARE
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Healthcare
4/9/2019

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The assignment brings about the discussion on the concept of harm minimisation strategy and
the way it reduces the adverse or negative influence on the health, social and economic
aspects of drug use on the communities. The term ‘harm-minimisation’ is referred to a drug-
related policy within Australia which governs the all the laws and legislations related to drug.
Harm-minimisation acknowledges or assumes the fact that some people in the society will
use the alcohol, and drugs, which further states about their compliance to the established
policies. Therefore, the essay will bring about the discussion on the assessment of three
pillars of harm minimisation strategies. In the later part of the essay, the impact of these
pillars on reducing the drug-related harm in Australia will be discussed to obtain the results in
terms of influence on the health, social and economic impact.
Harm minimisation
Harm minimisation is currently a drug related policy in Australia, that aims to govern or
manage all the laws, and responses related to the drug use. The approach addresses the issues
that are relevant to the use of alcohol, through reducing the negative impact of alcohol on the
human body. Therefore, it has become an important policy of the state and federal
government of Australia, since the launch of National Campaign against Drug Abuse and the
subsequent National Drug Strategy in year 1985 (Midford et al., 2018).
Three pillars of Harm minimisation
The three pillars of the harm minimisation established to control or regulate the supply,
demand, and harm to the workers and their families or support members. The aim behind the
concept of harm minimisation is to organise system ensuring safety and healthy Australian
work sites and communities through preventing and controlling the usage of alcohol, and
other drug related health, social and financial harm to the people within different parts of the
community (Armstrong & Samson, 2016).
To state about the introduction and positive impacts or advantages is that it permits the
individuals or communities to consider the interventions and responses to the drug use. It
further led to the establishment of other strategies, which supported in the prevention or
control over issues such as HIV/AIDS. Another advantage to the people in Australia is that
pillars of harm minimisation strategy are pervasive in nature. It means the strategies are
implemented to every individual whether they plan to reduce the drug use or not, and thereby
it aims to prevent harm. However, the strategy of harm minimisation is also criticised as it

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also contributes to the criminal convictions. For an instance, in Australia it has reported that
the people in prisons do not stop the use of drugs, which affects the health, economic system
of the country (Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 2016).
Now, the discussion will determine the harm minimisation strategies can be divided into three
different categories, i.e. Harm reduction, supply reduction and demand reduction.
The harm reduction strategy is determined to lessen the possibility of harm from the use of
drugs on the individuals, and communities in Australia. It aims to lessen the adverse health,
social and economic impact from the drug use on communities. Like the services that are
available to prevent the harm from the drug, use and these may consist of the distribution of
needle, recovery programs including sterile needles, and other supplies or products leading to
harm. These strategies reduce the harm from the drug use but they do not necessarily stop the
drug use. It has understood that an individual’s involvement into the illegal activities, such as
supply of the drugs, or illegal manufacture of drugs will have consequences in their health,
social and economic aspects of life (Midford et al., 2018).
For an instance, the approach of harm reduction in relation to drinking alcohol, the efforts to
reduce the habit of drink and drive that further leads to the road accidents is one major harm
reduction approach. The strategy to prevent and effectively manage the issue of drug
overdose on individuals is important harm reduction responses.
The aspects of Liquor licensing, undertaking the responsibility of alcohol service, education,
and information programs and community-based approaches are defined as harm reduction
strategies. These programs established as part of harm reduction strategy, which aims to
reduce the public violence due to alcohol consumption (Marshall et al., 2016).
The strategy of supply reduction is determined at reducing the supply and production of the
illicit drugs to the people. These can be defined through the examples such as legislation, and
law enforcement. Demand reduction strategy, is defined as the strategies aimed to reduce the
uptake of the harmful drug use by the individuals within community. Examples of the
demand reduction strategy consist of community development project and media campaigns
(Parliament of Australia, 2018).
The concept of the harm minimisation strategy is based on an assumption that all the
consumers or drinkers of alcohol or drugs cannot be stopped from using the illicit substances.
Some will continue the use of illicit substances, and some will experience the negative