Substance abuse has escalated globally, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality, and prompting increased attention to harm reduction strategies aimed at minimizing risks associated with substance use without requiring complete abstinence. This study investigated the knowledge and perception of nurses in Southwest Nigeria regarding harm reduction strategies for substance abuse management. Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, data were collected from 202 nurses across four hospitals through a standardized questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Fisher’s exact test. Although most respondents (79.2%) had previously heard of harm reduction, the findings revealed that a large proportion demonstrated poor knowledge (90.1%) and more than half exhibited poor perception (54.5%) of harm reduction approaches. These results indicate a substantial gap between awareness and actual understanding of harm reduction principles among nurses, underscoring the need for targeted educational interventions and capacity-building efforts to strengthen their competence in implementing harm reduction practices effectively within clinical settings.

Keywords: Harm reduction strategies, Knowledge, Nurses, Perception, Substance abuse,

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