A little kindness goes a long way

Supporters of Release will know that ‘harm reduction’ refers to life-saving initiatives like needle exchange and methadone treatment; policies, programmes and projects which aim to reduce the health, social and economic harms associated with the use of illicit drugs. Nevertheless, at the high level United Nations meeting earlier this year, harm reduction received a very bad press: Japan suggested it maintained illicit drug use; Singapore suggested it was incompatible with prevention measures; and, in the run up to the meeting, the Executive Director of UNODC, Mr Antonio Maria Costa, said of harm reduction, "this charity work is not drug control, on the contrary, it perpetuates drug use. Would you tell an obese friend: 'here, have some more candy and then get an insulin shot?’ of course not”.

A new initiative by Boots the Chemist in Association with the British Dental Health Foundation shows just how out of touch these criticisms are. The initiative is aiming to educate those who use drugs on the dental side effects of their use and they have produced an educational leaflet to this end.

As well as this information campaign, Boots has been giving out free sugar-free chewing gum to those collecting methadone on prescription and its little kindnesses like this that showcase what harm reduction really is.