Is Harm Reduction a Desirable National Drug Control Policy Goal?

Is Harm Reduction a Desirable National Drug Control Policy Goal?

There are many differing viewpoints in the United States when dealing with drug policy. Within the political arena, drug policy is a platform that many politicians base their entire campaigns upon, thus showing its importance to our society in general. Some of these modes within which drug policy is studied are in terms of harm reduction, and supply reduction. When studying the harmful effects of drugs, we must first to attempt to determine if drug abuse harms on an individual level of if it is a major cause of many societal problems that we face today. In drawing a preliminary conclusion to this question we are then able to outline the avenues of approach in dealing with this problem. Harm reduction is one of these avenues that has come under scrutiny from both sides of the debate.

Simply stated, harm reduction is a method used to lessen the dangers of drug use. Proponents of this policy realize that drug abuse continues to plague our society and strict programs need to be put in place to limit and eventually eliminate the use of drugs, however, it is also believed that in the mean time it would be beneficial to first reduce the risks and potential damages caused by drug use. Some of the dangers that harm reduction attempts to eliminate are drug trade related violence, deaths where drugs are an influencing or attributing factor, infectious diseases and the negative affects that drugs have on families. Supporters of harm reduction feel that the current policies aimed at the enforcement, prosecution and interdiction have not proven to be successful and that there need to be alternate methods in dealing with drug related issues in our society.

Opponents ...

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...estly, and responsibly. It includes learning to express and resolve feelings in appropriate and effective ways. For most people in recovery, emotional recovery takes years. Spiritual recovery is the most complex because it incorporates all other aspects.

It is because of these different stages of addiction and the many problems associated with them that total abstinence from alcohol is necessary to complete and maintain the recovery condition. Alcohol affects people not only physically, but more importantly psychologically. This dependence is a condition that is very easy to relapse into. Though there are those who claim that abstinence stigmatizes people it also gives people the power back in their lives. It allows for not only a life without the risk of relapse from having a 'few' but also teaches self-reliance and the ability to fight off the urge to drink.