Abstinence vs. Harm Reduction - 1733 Words

â€Å"Abstinence Vs. Harm Reduction† â€Å"Drug policy regarding the control of the traditional illicit substances (opiates, cocaine, cannabis) is currently moving through upbeat times in almost all Western countries. Prohibition on the basis of repressive law enforcement not only seems to fail on a large scale, but also to create vast additional costs, problems, and harm for drug consumers, who often find themselves in extreme social, economic, and health conditions† (Fischer 1995: 389). Western countries struggle with the control of drug abuse. America, for example, has been failing with eliminating or reducing the chronic issues of drug abuse and crimes associated with drugs. America’s goal around these problems consistently has been complete†¦show more content†¦It is just an alternative perspective to drug abuse because the American society’s prohibitionist ideologies pushed people to believe that abstinence was the only way to solving the problems of drug abuse. For example, Benedikt Fischer talks about the benefits of the adoption of harm reduction in Germany, in his article â€Å"Drugs, Communities, and Harm Reduction in Germany: The New Relevance of Public Health Principles in Local Responses.† Similar to America, Germany dealt with drug issues by applying the idea of abstinence. However, in the early 1980s, they have â€Å"modified their approach to drug controls from a strategy of repression and stigmatization of drug users to a policy of what is currently discussed under the umbrella of harm reduction† (Fischer 1995: 393). After employing the harm reduction approach, registered drug users, deaths related to drugs, and drug-related crime has declined significantly. Although drug abuse and drug-related issues exist, one of the main goals of harm reduction was accomplished; reducing the harm and risk of drugs. Fischer concluded that â€Å"one is especially startled by how these relatively dramatic changes and results could be accomplished in a political-ideological environment of a nation and culture characterized by a strong sense of prohibition and repression† (Fischer 1995: 406). Therefore, due to the similar past policies on drugs, America will experience beneficial changes if itShow MoreRelated Reducing the Harm of America?s Drug Problem Essay2511 Words   |  11 Pagescolonial times. Historically, the reaction to this problem has been the enforcement of prohibition laws and providing total abstinence education. This has resulted in big business in America; according to the United States Office of National Drug Control Policy, the federal government spent $19.2 billion dollars in 2003 on the war on drugs (1). 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