“For me,” says Jose Martinez, “harm reduction means opportunity.”The opportunity to see a doctor, to get a job, to get information and non-judgemental support. Today, Martinez is the capacity building and Hepatitis C coordinator for the National Harm Reduction Coalition, but his first encounter with harm reduction was as an addict living on the streets of New York City at a drop-in center. As Denver-based Harm Reduction Action Center notes in its Harm Reduction 101 educational video, interventions such as seatbelts and parachutes make potentially dangerous or deadly activities (driving, skydiving) safer for those who choose to engage in them. The efficacy of harm reduction as a whole is difficult to assess because the approach is general and encompasses multiple policies and programs. Harm reduction is also credited with Australia's low rates of HIV, relative to the United States.