Gay practices for harm reduction: inviting lesbians, gay men, and takataapui to be part of alcohol and drug harm reduction

Abstract

Since the gay rights movement of the 1970s much has been written about the needs of lesbians and gays with regard to mental health services. However, with notable exceptions little has been written specifically about the drug and alcohol fields. Even less has been written about agencies that have attempted to address the needs of lesbians and gays already highlighted by literature. This paper evaluates one agency in New Zealand that has attempted to address the needs of lesbians/gay men/takataapui¹, with regard to the reduction of harm associated with alcohol and drugs. In relation to alcohol and drugs, harm reduction refers to activities that attempt ‘to reduce the adverse consequences of drug use among persons who continue to use drugs’ (Single 1995). The harm reduction approach has been utilized to reduce the spread of HIV. As a concept, harm reduction is not new to lesbian/gay/takataapui communities. By being proactive in the community, addressing structural issues in the agency, and using a respectful motivational interviewing approach, Auckland Regional Alcohol and Drug Services (RADS) has