Integration Celebration: Reducing the Harms of Prohibition

It is our proposal that it is absolutely essential to move beyond the limitations of "harm reduction" and clarify definitions of "peers" if we are going to stand a chance of actually supporting the health and well-being of people who use drugs. The term "harm reduction" itself is negative, and in practise it is often unclear as to whether it is the potential harm of dug use that is being prevented, or the many harms …

…that the integration of these experiences in our own lives, and of drug users (and what we have learned) into our communities as respected, dignified human beings will not only benefit society as a whole, but is essential to the future survival of the human race. In this sense, ultimately we choose to expand the use of the word "peer" to include all people who are in relation to one another in any given context.