Harm Reduction Australia

Harm Reduction Australia (HRA) is a national organisation committed to policies, programmes and practices that aim to minimise negative health, social and legal impacts associated with drug use, drug policies and drug laws. HRA’s approach is grounded in justice and human rights. HRA is a membership-based organisation that formed in 2015 due to growing concerns about the direction of drug policy in Australia. Our members are primarily people working in harm reduction, public health and related sectors, but also includes a wide range of individuals interested in the continuation and expansion of harm reduction and drug policy reform measures in Australia. The Board and members of HRA are people who understand the complexities of drugs and drug policy and are advocating for safe, effective ways to protect the wellbeing and human rights of people who use drugs and, that of their families and wider communities. HRA aims to ensure that drug policies in Australia first and foremost do no harm and provide real benefit to Australian society through evidence-based, non-judgmental and humane responses to drug use in society. Goals: • To develop a national network of individuals and organisations dedicated to achieving and maintaining best practice harm reduction and effective and humane drug policies in Australia; • To educate the public, decision makers and those who influence public opinion (including the media) about the efficacy and legitimacy of harm reduction and human rights-based drug policies and programs for redressing some of the harms associate with current drug laws and policies; and • To work collaboratively to ensure reform to current drug policy with the primary aims of ending criminalisation, imprisonment, stigmatisation, discrimination and human rights violations against the people who use or have used drugs.