Harm reduction is a set of policy beliefs, essentially stating that people always have and always will perform activities, such as the abuse of drugs, that cause them harm. Therefore, the best method of reducing the harm caused by risky activities should be adopted, rather than an ineffective blanket prohibition of the performance of harmful activities.
Thus, a harm reduction philosophy can be used to justify
- an end to the War on Drugs and the adoption of techniques to make drug use safer for those who choose to partake
- attempts to minimise the damage of sexually transmitted diseases, rather than attempting to control all sexual behavior to prevent them.
Harm reductionists advocate the availability of a drug called methadone. Methadone does not cause any sense of euphoria in the user, but it does reduce or eliminate the cravings associated with heroin withdrawal[?]. Therefore, harm reductionists claim, methadone should be made widely available to heroin addicts, who can use methadone on a regular basis, temporarily or permanently, while still leading a fulfilling and healthy lifestyle. Critics of methadone treatment claim that this is merely a substitution of one addiction for another, or that methadone treatment does not work.
These are benefits as stated by a Belgian Consensus Conference on Methadone Treatment, conducted by the Belgian Minister of Health. The following conclusions were sent to every Belgian doctor 1 (http://www.habitsmart.com/meth2.htm).
- Methadone is an effective medication for the treatment of heroin addiction.
- Methadone reduces heroin consumption and injection, reduces mortality related to heroin addiction, reduces the risk of infection with HIV as well as hepatitis B and C, improves therapeutic compliance of HIV-positive drug addicts, facilitates detection of illness and health education strategies and is associated with an improvement in socio-professional aptitude and a reduction in delinquency.
- Prolonged treatment with proper doses of methadone is medically safe. At present, methadone has not been shown to be toxic for any organ.
- There is no scientific reason to limit the overall number of heroin addicts admitted for methadone treatment.
- Availability of methadone treatment should be increased to respond to the need for such treatment, including by private practitioners.
- Psycho-social support is not compulsory and should be adapted to the individual needs of patients.
The use of heroin and certain other illicit drugs involves hypodermic syringes. In some areas, these are available solely by prescription. Because of this, users of heroin and other drugs frequently share the syringes. As a result, one user's infection, such as
HIV, quickly spreads through the reuse of syringes contaminated with infected blood. The principles of harm reduction necessitate that syringes should be made more easily available (i.e. without a prescription). Many harm reductionists also argue that users should be able to exchange dirty needles for clean ones at clinics set up for this purpose. Critics claim that these measures will encourage addiction by making it safer to inject illicit drugs.
DanceSafe is a national program in the
United States, wherein volunteers situated at
raves and similar dances test (for free) pills that participants purchased on the assumption they were
Ecstacy. Similar programs have been proposed and, in some cases, implemented to test the purity of other drugs. Harm reductionists support these programs as informing drug users of the purity of their drugs. Thus decreasing the possibility of accidental overdoses and adverse drug reactions. Critics of these policies claim that such programs encourage drug use by making it safer.
A high amount of media coverage exists informing users of the dangers of driving drunk. Most alcohol users are now aware of these dangers and safe ride techniques like 'designated drivers' and free taxicab programs are reducing the number of drunk-driving accidents. Many cities have free-ride-home programs during holidays involving high alcohol abuse, and some of the more responsible bars and clubs will provide a visibly drunk patron with a free cab ride.
Many schools now provide safe sex education to teen and pre-teen students, who, in spite of what they are taught, have been shown to frequently engage in sexual activity. Given the premise that kids are going to have sex, a harm reductionist approach supports sexual education which emphasizes the use of protective devices like condoms and dental dams to protect against unwanted pregnancy and the transmission of STDs. This runs contrary to the ideology of "abstinence-only" sex education, which holds that telling kids about sex necessarily encourages them to go out and get some.
Other harm reduction programs to be expanded on:
- Mandatory seat belt/helmet laws
- Laws controlling smoking in public
- Safe injecting rooms
- Heroin maintenance programs
- Encouragement of the use of water pipes as opposed to cigarettes and straight pipes
- Not notifying parents for youth abortions
- State regulated production and marketing of currently illegal drugs