Mainline in the Harm Reduction Journal

A commentary co-authored by Mainline was published in the Harm Reduction Journal. Are we entering a new era of harm reduction? The authors use its history in the Netherlands to explain. 

In the 1980s, the effects of widespread drug injection use in the Netherlands became overwhelming. The urgent need for solutions first led to grassroots harm reduction initiatives in major cities, which eventually turned into a nationwide political trend, authors say. However, this did not last long. Soon after, a new narrative focused on security and crime prevention emerged, leaving little room for harm reduction. Since then, harm reduction policies have been in decline. 

a tipping point

Interestingly, the authors have recently observed signs of a new trend. After years of increasing criminalization and a focus on security, harm reduction has returned to political agendas. Why? The article analyzes the role of a person-centered care approach in Dutch drug policy over the past fifty years. The Netherlands has seen clear evidence of the effectiveness of harm reduction, as well as the problems that arose when these policies weakened. This explains why, as harm reduction reaches its lowest point, change may be on the horizon. Since the WHO sees a similar trend as the one observed in Amsterdam, the authors argue that understanding the Dutch case can help predict the future of global drug policy. 

The Harm Reduction Journal is an international platform for research and discussion in the field. The commentary written by Mainline, together with Correlation, another organization for harm reduction, is available in full on the website of the Harm Reduction Journal. You can access it here.