Harm Reduction

Harm reduction is a practical, evidence-based approach to substance use. It is an approach that accepts that people use alcohol and other drugs for a variety of reasons, that not all substance use is harmful and there are ways to reduce the risk of harms. Instead, it sees substance use as a spectrum that ranges from abstinence and beneficial use to substance use disorders. 

A harm reduction approach is used in policies, programs, and practices to reduce the health, social and legal harms associated with substance use without requiring people to reduce or stop their use. It focuses on supporting people to make positive change, without coercion, discrimination or judgement. 

Learn more about a harm reduction approach for substance use and some of the services available in Nova Scotia in a series of videos.

For Nova Scotia Health and IWK staff, these videos can also be found on LMS.

Drug Harms Alert

Public Health runs a Drug Harms Alert service for Nova Scotia. The purpose of this service is to receive and communicate community reports of drug poisonings, suspected drug contamination and other unexpected or elevated drug use-related harms. 

This approach is designed to establish a flexible, low-barrier, community-driven process for communicating unexpected drug use-related harms observed in the community. Information is received via email and alerts are distributed via an email distribution list and Nova Scotia Health social media accounts. 

To sign up to receive alerts, please email NSDrugAlert@nshealth.ca

How to submit an alert

To submit a report, please send an email to NSDrugAlert@nshealth.ca with the subject line “Drug Alert”. Please include as much of the following information, as possible: 

1. Location/community of where the drug was used
2. Date and time when the drug was used
3. Name(s) of the drug (i.e. what was assumed to be used/what the drug was sold as)
4. Description of the drug and its packaging, especially anything unusual
5. How the drug was used
6. Observed reaction of the drug used, especially those that are unusual compared to the expected effect of the drug
7. Drug testing results (suspected composition of the drug)
8. Photo of the drug, if possible 

Harm Reduction Services in the Community

Public Health supports two core harm reduction service areas in partnership with community-based organizations who provide service delivery: Needle Distribution and Disposal (NDD) and Overdose Prevention Sites (OPS). 

Needle distribution and disposal services are provided by the Ally Centre of Cape Breton (Eastern Zone), Mainline Needle Exchange (Central and Western Zones), and Northern Healthy Connections Society (Northern Zone). ReFix Overdose Prevention site is operated by Direction180 in Halifax and PeerSix Overdose Prevention Site is operated by the Ally Centre of Cape Breton in Sydney.   

The four funded organizations provide a wide range of supports to their clients and communities beyond needle distribution and disposal and overdose prevention services, including but not limited to access to Take Home Naloxone, community clean-up efforts, education and training, healthcare services, food support, housing support, income tax and government benefit support, STBBI testing, and peer support and outreach. Funded community-based organizations also partner with and refer to other governmental and community-based organizations to further support their clients and communities. 

Mainline Needle Exchange
5367 Cogswell St., Halifax
Phone: 902-423-9991 

Direction180 & ReFix Overdose Prevention Site           
2151 Gottingen St., Halifax 
Phone: 902-420-0566 

Northern Healthy Connections Society
76 Esplanade St., Truro 
Phone: 902-895-0931 

Ally Centre of Cape Breton & PeerSix Overdose Prevention Site
75 Prince St., Sydney 
Phone: 902-567-1766

 

Community-based needle disposal kiosks

Need to safely dispose of a needle/sharp? There are community-based needle disposal bins across the province in public spaces. Below is a non-exhaustive list and subject to change. There may be other needle kiosks and public sharp bins in your community operated by individual organizations or businesses.

Metro Turning Point
2170 Amalemak Way, Halifax

Northend Library
2285 Gottingen Street, Halifax

The Bridge Shelter
99 Wyse Road, Dartmouth

Alderney Village (Atlantic Community Shelter modulars)
7 Church Street, Dartmouth

Adsum Drop-in Albro 
107 Albro Lake Road, Dartmouth

North Grove (behind building)
6 Primrose Street, Dartmouth

Harbourview Elementary
25 Alfred Street, Dartmouth

Overlook (back of the building)
101 Yorkshire Avenue extension, Dartmouth

Central Library
5440 Spring Garden Road, Halifax

Brunswick Street Mission (North side of church)
2170 Amalemak Way, Halifax

Turning Point
2171 Amalemak Way, Halifax

Homeless shelter (front of the building)
106 Townsend Street, Sydney

Ally Center (front of the building)
75 Prince Street, Sydney

Sacred Heart Church (corner of Ferry Street and George Street)
217 George Street, Sydney

Pharmasave (front of the building)
814 Victoria Road, Sydney

Center 200 (back of the building)
481 George Street, Sydney

Eleanor's Court (courtyard in the back)
95 Charlotte Street, Sydney

The old " Tim's" location (front of the building)
255 Commercial Street, Glace Bay

Pharmasave (on corner of Plummer Avenue & Hutson Street)
3435 Plummer Avenue, New Waterford

Colliery Lands Park (in parking lot)
3696 Ellsworth Avenue, New Waterford

Duck pond (in parking lot, across from Clearwater)
Queen Street, North Sydney

Community Cares Youth Outreach (on side of building)
55 King Street, Sydney Mines

Membertou Graveyard (in parking lot under a metal roof)
6 Big Noel Ekel, Membertou

Membertou Health Park (around the side)
103 Membertou Street, Membertou

Foodland parking lot (on the side of the building)
4716 Shore Road, Eskasoni

Miner's Marsh
Barclay Street, Kentville

Centre Square
389 Main Street, Kentville

Oakdene Park
46 Campbell Road, Kentville