Essay On Harm Reduction

There are some barriers or weaknesses common to most interventions that target addictive behaviors in the community. Heterogeneity in the population and cultural barriers has contributed to the lack of knowledge regarding substance use and its effects. Issues related to taboo, denial and loss of face mask understanding of the extent of the problem. Institutional barriers and lack of community infrastructure make treatment efforts difficult in serving a diverse population (Ja, 1993). In addition to the psychological barriers, other physical problems also exist. Most primary care physicians do not feel competent to treat alcohol and drug related disorders. Physicians generally do not like to work with patients with these disorders and do not find treating them rewarding. There is substantial evidence that physicians fail even to identify a large percentage of patients with these disorders (Miller, Sheppard, Colenda, & Magen, 2001). Financial barriers include inability to access treatment services by addicted individuals as indicated in various studies. There is also a competition for resources that has to be considered. Local governments allocate some part of their funding for specific issues and there is a competition among several stakeholders to ensure that their cause is represented. Research shows that prevention programs in the community on the issues of substance abuse, risky sexual behavior, school failure, juvenile delinquency and violence have to be

There is no doubt that there is a prevalence of substance abuse throughout several age groups. To a certain extent, a society is faced with the reality of controlling substance abuse. Or allow it run rampant throughout the community. Often times, we hear and read about the level of substance abuse among teen, young adults and mid-aged

“Harm reduction is based on the premise that people are responsible for their behaviour, that they maker personal choices that affect their health and well-being, and that they can make safer and better decisions if given useful and honest information” (Mathre, 2002, p. 106). Harm reduction recognizes people’s unhealthy choices while also attempting to reduce the harmful effects that come from these unhealthy behaviours (Marlatt, 1998 as cited in Brown, Luna, Ramirez, Vail, and Williams, 2005). Using a harm reduction approach has a positive effect on drug users, as it helps to reduce the negative consequences that come from using drugs. Although harm reduction aims to reduce the harm from illegal drug using, it is viewed as

In the United States, many Americans can argue that we are facing a drug epidemic whether it is alcohol or illicit drugs other than medicinal marijuana. In response to this drug epidemic, organizations were created that are supported by the government and law enforcement in an effort to give addicts a chance to get clean. For example, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotic Anonymous are two organizations that focus on helping people who struggle from alcoholism or any addiction cope with the symptoms of withdrawal in efforts to stay clean with the support of their organization’s community. Although these two organization’s goals are similar, they attack these problems differently beginning with step one out of their twelve step program to help addicts get clean.

Substance abuse is a very widely known public epidemic in today's society. Many people are unfortunately plagued by this issue. According to Emedicinehealth.com (2012), “People abuse substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs for varied and complicated reasons, but it is clear that our society pays a significant cost,” (para. 1). People that are affected by substance abuse includes a very different range of people. Many that abuse the substances end up having health-related problems which in turn increases the need for health care. Other people that are affected by substance abuse are the family members and friends of the abusers because they have to deal with the person abusing the substances. Things that can be abused are

Harm reduction can be defined as an approach that aims to reduce the consequences of high risk behaviours such as injection drug use on the individual and on society as a whole. Harm reduction programs provide injection drug users with access to a clean injection environment, sterile injections, drug-preparation equipment and safe disposal of contaminated material at the time of injection. Staff members in harm reduction facilities provide health teaching, anonymous HIV testing, information on addiction treatment, condoms and assist in connecting clients to social and health services (Semaan et al., 2011; Ball, 2007). Although, the benefits of harm reduction are evident through reduction of accidental drug overdose and prevention of

Substance abuse and addiction can impact every aspect of a person’s daily life, relationships, employment, and can have a profound impact on the user’s overall health. The certified professionals at the addiction treatment centers in Silver Spring, Maryland are uniquely qualified to mitigate the physical aspects of detox and withdrawl, but also help the individual to work through and resolve the many issues that evolve out of addiction. The addiction treatment centers in Baltimore, Maryland, and the surrounding area, offer inpatient services, outpatient care, and residential treatment options.

Getting help for drug addiction is often such an intimidating idea that many addicts continue to use rather than expose themselves to the embarrassment or pain that they have associated with reaching out to someone for help. This is in large part due to the fact that television, books and movies have portrayed drug rehab centers in such a negative light that the reality is actually quite incomprehensibly different than these depictions. Millions of people have gotten help for addiction and gone on to lead productive and fulfilling lives free from the bonds of substance abuse. However, there are plenty still who delayed treatment for one reason or another and suffered severe consequences by doing so. Because addiction is a progressive and

There has been an expectation of society that substance abuse treatment should eliminate alcohol and illicit drug use while improving individual health and social functioning as to reduce the public safety threat. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 also known as Obama Care was created with intentions of expanding the availability of health insurance. In 2011 the President’s National Drug Control Strategy requested investments in screening, intervention and referral to treatment, and expanded the Access to Recovery voucher program. These initiatives are a start towards total care for alcohol and substance abuse patients, however from our study we have found that treatment may be best when considered as a long term possibly life resource for these individuals to become successfully sober and healthy.

Harm reduction is a concept that refers to policies, programs, and practices that aim to reduce the harms associated with the use of psychoactive drugs in people unable or unwilling to stop (Syme, Browne, Varcoe, & Josewski, 2011). Methadone has been increasingly utilized as a means of addressing and reducing the health, social, and fiscal harms associated with opiate addiction (Kerr, Marsh, Li, Montaner, & Wood, 2005). During my clinical rotation at Rosthern Hospital, I learned that this small town rural hospital has a successful methadone program to treat opioid addiction. When a person thinks of small town Saskatchewan, their first though is not usually intravenous (IV) drug use, but after working at Rosthern Hospital for a few shifts, I began to realize the town and the surrounding communities may have an addictions problem. At the hospital, the doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and support staff have all decided to collaborated and developed a harm-reduction methadone program for their patients. Not only is this program successful because it addresses the needs of the community, but it is also controversial. Using Carper’s (1978) “Five Ways of Knowing” I examined the methadone program and its patients, the positive and negatives, as well as a patient’s own personal experience being in the methadone program.

Sally, thank you for your thoughtful post. In reading it, especially your questions regarding whether to treat while Joe was continuing to use alcohol and methamphetamine as well as regarding a potentially sub-optimal choice of antipsychotic based upon his preference, I was reminded of the harm reduction philosophy frequently used in drug and alcohol (AOD) treatment. In the context of AOD use, harm reduction is any measure taken to prevent harmful consequences of drug use without a goal of interfering with drug consumption (Kleinig, 2008). Examples of harm reduction are needle exchange programs, nicotine patches, designated driver programs and medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid dependence. In my viewpoint, your choice to treat

The article called Harm reduction by a “user run” organization: A case study of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) by Thomas Kerr et al, was an interesting article to read I do not know much about the use of illicit drugs or addictions because I have not been exposed to them growing up. However, I have learned assumptions by going to school, watching television shows and through my family’s judgments. Before reading this article I did not know much about user-run organizations for harm reduction and I have now learned how beneficial it is to drug users.

Summary: This article provides research evidence on Harm Reduction (HR) program and its effects on individuals who were non-completers of drug court programs. It included 30 voluntary participants on a one year program that utilized HR techniques. It reported reduced risky behaviors, decrease in substance use, and reduced criminal recidivism (Francis & Reynolds, 2015).

The harm reduction movement was born in the early 1980s as a pragmatic, remarkably effective response to the spreading hepatitis and AIDS epidemics, since then, harm-reduction workers and activists in Europe and increasingly throughout the world have sought to provide drug users and addicts with a range of services aimed at reducing the harmful effects of drug use.

Substance abuse and addiction have become a social problem that afflicts millions of individuals and disrupts the lives of their families and friends. Just one example reveals the extent of the problem: in the United States each year, more women and men die of smoking related lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined (Kola & Kruszynski, 2010). In addition to the personal impact of so much illness and early death, there are dire social costs: huge expenses for medical and social services; millions of hours lost in the workplace; elevated rates of crime associated with illicit drugs; and scores of children who are damaged by their parents’ substance abuse behavior (Lee, 2010). This paper will look at