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Harm Reduction in Europe: Histories, Choices and Hopes

Edited by:
Iga Jeziorska, PhD, Correlation- European Harm Reduction Network, Netherlands
Katrin Schiffer, MPH, Correlation- European Harm Reduction Network, Netherlands
Rafaela Rigoni, PhD, Correlation- European Harm Reduction Network, Netherlands 
Roberto Perez Gayo, MA, Correlation -European Harm Reduction Network, Netherlands

 

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 31 July 2024


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Harm Reduction Journal
is calling for submissions to our Collection on Harm Reduction in Europe: Histories, Choices and Hopes. We are excited to announce a Call for Papers for a thematic series to be published in the Harm Reduction Journal, in conjunction with the European Harm Reduction Conference taking place in Warsaw in early December 2024, and commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Correlation - European Harm Reduction Network.

Image credit: C-EHRN

About the Collection

Harm Reduction Journal is calling for submissions to our Collection on Harm Reduction in Europe: Histories, Choices and Hopes. This special series aims to start a multi-stakeholder and multi-perspective dialogue on the evolution and prospective future of harm reduction in Europe. Our main goal with this thematic issue is to provide a comprehensive and insightful look into the journey of harm reduction across the diverse regions of Europe, examining the changes, challenges, and innovations along the way. We are looking for both primary research articles and thoughtful commentaries that tackle harm reduction from a time-based perspective, digging into its past, understanding its present, and imagining its future.

Harm Reduction in Europe: The Past, Present, and Future

Europe has seen a wide variety of harm reduction strategies over the years. From needle exchange programs aimed at reducing the spread of HIV among people who use drugs, to supervised consumption rooms that provide a safer space for substance use, the continent has been at the forefront of innovative harm reduction policies. However, these approaches have not been without controversy and have evolved significantly over time.

As we reflect on the history and practices of harm reduction in Europe, we see a tapestry of different models, policies, and paradigms. The past few decades have witnessed a shift from punitive drug policies, which criminalize drug use, to more compassionate, health-focused approaches. Further, the mainstream harm reduction paradigm has seen an evolution from a health focus, with prioritized professional-led prevention of infectious diseases, towards a more holistic and autonomous view of an individual, and community-led, grassroots initiatives proliferating in recent years. Yet, the journey has been complex and uneven, with different regions adopting harm reduction at different paces and to varying extents.

In the present day, harm reduction in Europe stands at a crucial juncture. While significant progress has been made, challenges remain, including the ongoing stigma faced by people who use drugs, the need for greater and more equitable access to harm reduction services, especially for specific vulnerable groups, and chronic precarity of funding, both in terms of instability and insufficient resources.

Looking ahead, we are interested in exploring innovative and creative visions for the future of harm reduction in Europe. How can we build on the lessons of the past and present to create a more inclusive, effective, and compassionate approach to drug use? How can we ensure that harm reduction services are accessible to all who need them, regardless of where they live or their socioeconomic status?

Seeking Diverse Voices and Perspectives

We are eager to hear from a wide range of contributors – from academics and researchers to service providers and community members, particularly those with living and lived experience of drug use. We believe that a diverse range of perspectives is crucial to creating a comprehensive understanding of harm reduction’s journey in Europe.

Your submissions should critically engage with harm reduction in Europe, examining its evolution over time and offering thoughtful reflections on its future. We are particularly interested in papers that challenge established narratives, offer new insights, and propose innovative solutions.

  1. Europe has been at the forefront of harm reduction since its inception. These important early steps were in large part a response to the dramatically expanding HIV epidemic, and investing in these innovative i...

    Authors: Brendan Kahn and Michel Kazatchkine
    Citation: Harm Reduction Journal 2024 21:172
  2. In this article the authors offer their perspective on the changes in the Dutch harm reduction field. From the 1970s to the 1990s, the Netherlands emerged as a leader in harm reduction services, driven by gras...

    Authors: Machteld Busz, Katrin Schiffer, Ancella Voets and Alice Pomfret
    Citation: Harm Reduction Journal 2024 21:163

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of primary research articles, commentaries and perspectives. Topics should critically engage with at least two of the temporal aspects: the history, present, and future of harm reduction in Europe. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. 

Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. Please, select the appropriate Collection title "Harm Reduction in Europe: Histories, Choices and Hopes" under the “Details” tab during the submission stage.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer-review process. The peer-review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.