​NJ Harm Reduction Programs Combat Opioid Crisis and HIV

Governor Murphy’s Administration continues to be committed to providing needed, comprehensive harm reduction services to communities throughout the state. Harm reduction centers (also known as HRCs) provide New Jersey communities with an evidence-informed, community-based solution to decrease the physical and social harms associated with drug use without stigma or judgement.

Simply put, harm reduction services reduce risk and harm, while improving the lives of everyone affected by addiction. Not only do these proven public health interventions improve an individual’s health and safety, but also their family’s wellbeing, and the health of their community. This public health approach offers a combination of interventions connecting people who use drugs to essential and life-saving services, including clean needles, overdose prevention education including naloxone, HIV and hepatitis C testing, and access to counseling, treatment, and social support services.

HRCs play a pivotal role in bridging the gap to health services to prevent and treat HIV, hepatitis C, and skin or tissue infections as well as foster trust between people who use drugs and their healthcare providers. By connecting people who need it most with essential resources for managing their health, HRCs are able to significantly decrease new HIV and hepatitis C infections in their communities.

Recent legislative efforts have paved the way for expansion of harm reduction centers in New Jersey. These initiatives include funding allocations for harm reduction programs, the removal of legal barriers to harm reduction services, and the implementation of policies to ensure the safety and effectiveness of harm reduction centers. The department’s HRC expansion will include a mix of new sites both mobile and fixed as well as expanded services for already existing centers. Learn more about New Jersey’s Harm Reduction Centers.

If you think you have HIV or hepatitis, or been exposed, contact the New Jersey AIDS/HIV/STD Hotline to get connected to free HIV and other STI services in New Jersey. The hotline is staffed by health professionals (doctors, nurses, and pharmacists) available 24 hours a day, every day of the year to provide free, private/confidential help: Call 1-800-624-2377 or Chat Here.

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This release was written by the NJ AIDS/HIV/STD Hotline