A harm reduction program costs little compared to its savings. A 2015 review found that harm reduction services "can be cost-effective by most thresholds in the short-term and cost-saving in the long-term." A single needle costs about 10 cents, much less than treating the infections it can prevent. Conservative estimates place the ratio of savings-to-costs at about 4:1. Australia’s government estimated that their harm reduction programs had prevented approximately 21,000 hepatitis C infections and 25,000 HIV infections after about a decade of operation, saving about $7.8 billion. That’s a significant savings to taxpayers due to preventable health care expenses.
This approach is endorsed by major medical and legal organizations:
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World Health Organization (WHO)
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United States Institute of Medicine
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UNAIDS
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Global Fund World Bank
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International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
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UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health
In addition, 84 countries support harm reduction in policy or practice. 77 countries have clean needle programs.
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