Zines as artistic tools in harm reduction: bridging subjective experience and scientific knowledge

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Since the early days of the fight against HIV, zines have appeared to play a dual role: they encourage affected communities to voice their experiences and facilitate the exchange of information between researchers, professionals, and the individuals concerned, particularly drug users. However, few studies have examined the role of zines as a harm reduction tool within public health. This commentary draws on a two-year ethnographic study of a zine project designed for people facing drug-related challenges and vulnerabilities, such as social precarity and mental health issues. We identified various forms of engagement with the zine project, based on three key aspects. First, the zine elevates a plurality of voices, whether from the spheres of research, peer-based networks, healthcare professionals, or the streets and social precariousness. Second, the zine operates within a broader network of associations, fostering connections between local social action structures. Lastly, while the zine primarily addresses drug-related issues, it also opens space for broader topics such as precarity, gender, and migration. This thematic transversality stems from a desire to grasp the complexity of social factors that shape individual life trajectories.The production of a zine, envisioned as a platform for expression and the promotion of an alternative subculture, promotes the participation of those most distanced from care and among the most vulnerable populations. The peer-driven collaboration throughout the zine’s creation also enables the stakeholders involved (editorial team, contributors, readers, etc.) to contribute to the emergence of diverse forms of knowledge, fostering a new understanding of reality and bridging audiences that would otherwise rarely intersect.