Skadereducering i Sverige och Danmark: En studie om skadereducerande insatser vid opioidberoende

Sammanfattning: Harm reduction as a response to drug problems has long been considered controversial in Sweden, among other countries. The term has therefore rarely been used in official Swedish documents. However, harm reduction in the neighboring country, Denmark, has in contrast to Sweden, not encountered the same degree of resistance. The aim of this study was, based on this difference, along with advances in the field in recent years, to go over differences and similarities in terms of harm reduction responses in these countries. This by looking into which harm reduction responses for opioid dependence are currently available in these countries, and how they are put forward. A comparative method has been used to compare the two countries positions. Publications, of relevance to the aim, from government agencies in both Sweden and Denmark has been reviewed for this purpose. The two acknowledged harm reduction responses drug consumption rooms and heroin-assisted treatment is currently not available in Sweden. However, Folkhälsomyndigheten, a Swedish government agency, has recently suggested that the pre-conditions for implementing drug consumption rooms should be investigated. In terms of differences and similarities between the two countries, it has become clear that the term harm reduction is used more sparingly by the agencies in Sweden. Furthermore, in contrast to Denmark, it appears that an aim to reduce drug consumption tend to be more present when these responses are put forward in Sweden. The motivation of harm reduction responses is presented from a public health perspective in both countries.