HRNA_AIIRM

@hrna.bsky.social

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Harm Reduction Nurses Association is a national organization with a mission to advance harm reduction nursing through practice, education, research, advocacy.

The title is “exploration of a harm reduction course: insights into course development and delivery” there is also a picture of a nasal naloxone in a wire shelf.
The HRNA logo is three semi incomplete circular swirls starting with a green outer layer a blue middle layer and a red inner layer. There is text overlay at the top saying “Dignity. Compassion. Solidarity.” And at the bottom it says “international harm reduction day”.
A sterile kidney basin containing safer injection supplies taken from Parkdale SCS. Photo credit: CATIE’s anti-stigma toolkit There are two text overlays that read “What happens when evidence is ignored?” And “a national conversation on SCS closures in Canada”
A photo from Catie’s anti stigma toolkit show a supervised consumption service and a vital signs monitor. There is text overlay saying Harm Reduction Nurses Association Condemns Decision to Close Supervised Consumption Services in Alberta and “Harm reduction and treatment are not competing approaches-they are interdependent. People cannot access recovery if they are no longer alive."
For Immediate Release March 16, 2026 Harm Reduction Nurses Denounce Ontario Decision to End Supervised en réduction des méfaits Consumption Sites The decision announced on Friday, March 13* by the Government of Ontario to end provincial funding for Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS), also known as Supervised Consumption Sites, is devastating and unconscionable. This is not a new direction, but the latest escalation in the Ford Government's sustained attacks on harm reduction since 2018. This decision is not grounded in evidence. It offers no real solutions. Instead, it fuels moral panic and spreads dangerous disinformation about addiction and people who use drugs (PWUD). The Harm Reduction Nurses Association stands in firm opposition to this decision. We stand in solidarity with people who use drugs, harm reduction workers, peers, nurses, and communities who refuse to accept policies that abandon people to preventable death. Every single day in 2025, five Ontarians died from opioid toxicity. Every day, families are shattered. Every day, communities are forced to grieve the losses that should never happen. These deaths are not inevitable. They are the result of a poisoned drug supply and policy choices that ignore reality. Nurses witness this crisis firsthand. We work alongside people every day to prevent and treat infections, reverse overdoses, and build relationships rooted in dignity and trust. Supervised Consumption Sites are not optional. They are life-saving spaces of care, connection, and resistance. Their removal in June 2026 will cost lives. As nurses, we refuse to be silent. We demand that the Ontario Government take responsibility for the lives of all Ontarians and immediately reverse this decision. The government claims to be "focused on treatment, recovery, and safer communities." This decision proves the opposite. It further excludes people who use drugs from the very services and communities they have a right to access. It priorities punis…
An image of a nasal naloxone dose in its packaging, sitting in a wire shelf next to some other medical supplies. The text overlay in the top left says “this decision will cost lives” and on the bottom it says "These are necropolitical decisions that determine who is allowed to live and who is left to die."
The photo shows the inside of a supervised consumption service, featuring injection booths and a vital signs monitor. There is text overlay reading “Harm Reduction Nurses Denounce Ontario Decision to End Supervised Consumption Services”
Support DULF by making a donation to their legal fund: https://www.zeffy.com/en- CA/donation-form/dulf-legal-aid-ii-the-final-push
The Harm Reduction Nurses Association stands in unwavering solidarity with the Drug User Liberation Front (DULF) as they launch their constitutional challenge of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) in BC Supreme Court. As nurses and allied healthcare providers, we recognize that the solutions that will keep people alive amidst this ongoing unregulated toxic drug crisis will not come from existing systems that uphold prohibition and carceral punishment; and we applaud the courage and innovation that Jeremy and Eris have demonstrated through their successful life-saving compassion club on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
A collage of photos of nurses and other allied care providers wearing shirts supporting the Drug User Liberation Front and denouncing stigma. Many signs say “nurses” or “we support” DULF.
Headshot of Caitlin Shane. Caitlin Shane is a staff lawyer at Pivot Legal Society, a human rights organization based in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. As Pivot's drug policy lawyer, Caitlin takes direction from drug user-led movements. She has appeared at the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Canada, and the BC Supreme Court. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Caitlin worked as an outreach and harm reduction worker in tent cities, safe injection sites, and low income housing.
In a majority decision delivered on October 24th, 2025, the Supreme Court of Canada recognized the importance of clear, transparent laws, ruling that the Act must ensure that people who call 9-1-1 during an overdose will not face arrest for simple drug possession. Advocates and intervenors, including the Harm Reduction Nurses Association and Pivot, argue that this decision represents a critical victory for public health and evidence-based drug policy. We know that the only way to address the unregulated drug supply is legal regulation, but we are heartened by this decision, which will help fuel our fight.
PROTECTING LIFE, NOT PUNISHING HELP: UNDERSTANDING THE SUPREME COURT'S GOOD SAMARITAN RULING IN R V WILSON Webinar with Caitlin Shane, staff lawyer at Pivot Legal Society & Corey Ranger, President of the Harm Reduction Nurses Association TUESDAY NOVEMBER 187H 12PM PST VIA ZOOM REGISTER AT LINK IN BIO
Membership Benefits: Community of Practice Vote & contribute to national advocacy efforts on committees & working groups Education and Research Access to live webinars & roundtables with harm reduction nurses and drug policy experts Communication and Networking Professional networking opportunities with members and organizations whose purpose and mission align with the organization LEARN MORE@ WWW.HRNA-AIIRM.CA
WEBINAR A Crisis of Disorder or a Crisis of Legitimacy? A Critical Discourse Analysis of B.C. Police Officers' Perspectives on Decriminalization Concerns of 'social disorder' have become a powerful obstacle to drug policy reform in recent years, evidenced through the backlash to decriminalization in both British Columbia (B.C.) and Oregon. To better understand how decriminalization came to be associated with disorder in B.C., this study applied Critical Discourse Analysis to 36 semi-structured interviews conducted with front-line officers in B.C. Two dominant discourses were identified: 1) Decriminalization as Losing Control and 2) Policing as a Persecuted Institution.
The HRNA/AIIRM urges our federal government to: Rescind Bill C-2 Reject involuntary detention and coersive interventions Redirect enforcement funding to healthcare, housing, harm reduction, and volutary community-led treatment Legislate and fund harm reduction grounded in equity, autonomy and evidence Meet with HRNA Board of Directors within the next 30 days to discuss urgent, evidence-based solutions
A plain black background with HRNA logo, a purple ribbon for international overdose awareness day, and the text “52,544 lives lost (2016-2024) these deaths were preventable #IOAD2025”
HARM REDUCTION IN NURSING EDUCATION: A CALL TO ACT Authors: Chloe Pontalti, Brandy Palmer, Corey Ranger, Vera Caine, Meaghan Brown, Bernie Pauly, Bruce Wallace Institution: University of Victoria, Canada CASE STUDY: A MODEL COURSE This course was created in collaboration with the Harm Reduction Nurses Association Harm Reduction: Principles and Practice is an undergraduate and graduate course in nursing and social work at the University of Victoria. It offers an exemplary model, emphasizing harm reduction as al foundational practice competency. KEY TOPICS • History & theories of drug use and policy • Social justice & equity frameworks • Indigenous perspectives & decolonization • Safe consumption, overdose prevention, HR in acute care, addiction medicine, & safe supply • Intersectionality and systemic policy retorm
Support Harm Reduction Nursing Help grow the HRNA Chapman Harm Reduction Award Donate Today → Recognizing Excellence in Harm Reduction Nursing
HRNA executive secretary Dr Meaghan Brown, and member Chloe Pontalti, showcasing their poster.
HARM REDUCTION IN NURSING EDUCATION: A CALL TO ACT Authors: Chloe Pontalti, Brandy Palmer, Corey Ranger, Vera Caine, Meaghan Brown, Bernie Pauly, Bruce Wallace Institution: University of Victoria, Canada CASE STUDY: A MODEL COURSE This course was created in collaboration with the Harm Reduction Nurses Association Harm Reduction: Principles and Practice is an undergraduate and graduate course in nursing and social work at the University of Victoria. It offers an exemplary model, emphasizing harm reduction as al foundational practice competency. KEY TOPICS • History & theories of drug use and policy • Social justice & equity frameworks • Indigenous perspectives & decolonization • Safe consumption, overdose prevention, HR in acute care, addiction medicine, & safe supply • Intersectionality and systemic policy retorm The curriculum involves equitable, compensated partnerships with individuals who have lived/living experience of criminalized drug use, ensuring ethical collaboration. MOVING FORWARD, PRIORITIES INCLUDE... • Formal course evaluation • Course accreditation with the Canadian Nurses Association • Scheduled second offering in Fall 2025 • Enhanced accessibility across care disciplines and geographic regions • Institutional and resource support for faculty development in harm reduction principles and practices • Equitable, financially supported partnerships with community organizations • Structured experiential learning placements • Advocate for harm reduction competencies in entry-to-practice guidelines and licensing examinations
HRNA president Corey Ranger, alongside HRNA member Chloe Pontalti, and HRNA secretary Meaghan Brown stand in front of the ICN stage.
Conclusion: Existing evidence suggests that risks to healthcare professionals from secondary illicit drug exposure can be mitigated. Rigorous research and evaluations on exposure risks would bolster the current literature and inform decision makers. Punishing PWUD fails to address stigma, fails to mitigate safety risks, and is ultimately a barrier to accessing healthcare. Instead of focusing on criminalization and compounding surveillance measures, there is an urgent need to embrace evidence-informed policies that foster collective safety for patients and providers. By shifting away from punitive policies and aligning with a harm reduction approach and evidence-informed practices, a healthcare system that upholds all individuals' dignity, safety, and well-being regardless of their substance use status or professional roles can exist. Harm reduction is healthcare.
Our Recommendations: Overdose prevention sites (OPS) within or adjacent to hospitals are crucial for providing a safe space for patients to inject and inhale drugs, reducing the risk of overdose death. Implementation of these sites offer several key benefits that include:
Our Position: The Harm Reduction Nurses Association (HRNA) firmly opposes punitive and reactive policymaking that penalizes patients for illicit drug use in hospitals. While we acknowledge healthcare workers' fears related to illicit drug exposure, we highlight the lack of available resources and accurate information regarding their safety and the safety of their patients. We believe that policies prohibiting illicit drug use in healthcare settings also fails to protect PWUD and ultimately compromise their health, well-being, and access to life saving healthcare.
Harm Reduction Nurses Association Association des infirmiers et infirmières en réduction des méfaits Position Statement: Illicit Drug Exposure
The Harm Reduction Nurses Association urgently calls on the Ontario government to reverse Bill 223 & reaffirm its commitment to life saving & evidence-based harm reduction measures.
SCS save lives, prevent the spread of infectious diseases, reduce strain on emergency health systems, & connect individuals to broader health and social supports. Bill 223 will exacerbate drug poisoning deaths, drive drug use into unsafe settings, & sever crucial pathways to care.
Bill 223 is a catastrophic policy decision that will deepen the harms of the toxic drug emergency & undermine decades of progress in public health & harm reduction.
The Harm Reduction Nurses Association is in profound opposition to the recent passage of Ontario's Bill 223, which mandates the closure of existing supervised consumption services (SCS) & prevents the establishment of new sites.