Harm reduction is a realistic approach towards drug use. Instead of simply condemning or saying "Just Say No", harm reduction realizes that a) some people use drugs and b) are unlikely to cease using drugs. It instead seeks to ensure that those experimenting with drugs do so in the safest possible manner. Harm reduction usually addresses two areas of danger: 1) the lack of accurate drug information available and 2) the impure nature of illict drugs. Education and purity testing kits help to reduce the harm done by recreational drug use.

Two great offsite sources for harm reduction are DanceSafe and Erowid. The principles of harm reduction, tolerance and education, have been applied to other dangerous behavior, but since the major use of the term is drug use the description is appropiate.