Abstinence VS. harm reduction
We all know what abstinence is, but let's take a look at what "harm reduction" is all about.
Let's start with how they describe it at harmreduction.org
Harm reduction is a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use.
Here are the central principles of harm reduction:
Accepts, for better and for worse, that legal and illegal drug use are part of our world and chooses to work to minimize its harmful effects rather than simply ignore or condemn it.
Understands drug use as a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon that encompasses a continuum of behaviors from severe abuse to total abstinence, and acknowledges that some ways of using drugs are clearly safer than others.
Establishes quality of individual and community life and well-being–not necessarily cessation of all drug use–as the criteria for successful interventions and policies
Calls for the non-judgmental, non-coercive provision of services and resources to people who use drugs and the communities in which they live in order to assist them in reducing attendant harm
Ensures that drug users and those with a history of drug use routinely have a real voice in the creation of programs and policies designed to serve them
Affirms drug users themselves as the primary agents of reducing the harms of their drug use, and seeks to empower users to share information and support each other in strategies which meet their actual conditions of use.
Recognizes that the realities of poverty, class, racism, social isolation, past trauma, sex-based discrimination and other social inequalities affect both people’s vulnerability to and capacity for effectively dealing with drug-related harm.
Does not attempt to minimize or ignore the real and tragic harm and danger associated with licit and illicit drug use.
When I started working in this field professionally in 2019 I was unsure what my position on harm reduction was. After a few years of being on the front lines of substance abuse recovery, I became a fan of harm reduction, albeit a somewhat reluctant fan. Here's why: it saves lives. Need more reasons? I found it to be realistic and practical in numerous situations. I also liked that it seemed to minimize one of the biggest enemies of recovery - shame.
