Bangkok 2004. The spread of harm-reduction programs in Brazil

A harm-reduction law implemented in the state of São Paulo in 1998 paved the way for Brazil to implement an extensive network of harm-reduction programs across the country. In his plenary address to the XV International AIDS Conference in Bangkok on 16 July 2004, Luiz Paulo Teixeira outlined the history of harm reduction in São Paulo, described how the Brazilian government adopted harm reduction as a national policy, and put forward some recommendations for extending harm-reduction policies and addressing key issues in drug-law reform. Mr Teixeira explained that leadership from both the political sector and civil society is necessary for harm reduction to be successfully implemented.