Are Harm Reduction (Controlled drinking) Treatment Models a Viable Alternative to Abstinence Only Treatment Models for Treating Alcohol Abuse in Ireland?

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ABSTRACT

Concerns about the high prevalence of alcohol related harm in the Ireland has spurred many prevention efforts. Much research has been conducted on intervention techniques to deter people from drinking alcohol by using the logic that if people did not drink, there would be no alcohol related harm. The rates of binge drinking have remained constant even after these intervention techniques; policy change and increased education were implemented. Alcohol harm reduction is a strategy that instead of promoting abstinence from alcohol use, promotes responsible drinking. The statistics presented thus far explore the incidence of binge drinking and alcohol related harm, there is evidence for the need to examine this method further. The purpose of this study is to analyze whether harm reduction (controlled drinking) treatment models are viable alternative to abstinence only treatment models for treating alcohol abuse.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACTii

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW1

What is Alcohol Abuse?1

What is the history of alcohol abuse in Ireland?2

What is the cost of Alcohol Abuse to Irish Society (social and economical)?3

How effective is Abstinence treatment ?4

How is the efficacy of abstinence measured?4

Why the need for Harm Reduction?5

What is harm reduction treatment philosophy?6

Why consider harm reduction?7

How effective is harm reduction?7

How is the efficacy of harm reduction measured?8

Use of Harm Reduction Model in other Countries9

Harm Reduction and Alcohol Abuse Treatment in the Ireland11

Success of Harm Reduction Model for Treating Alcohol Abuse12

Summary14

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY15

WORKS CITED16

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

The purpose of this study is to analyze whether harm reduction (controlled drinking) treatment models are viable alternative to abstinence only treatment models for treating alcohol abuse. This chapter presents a theoretical review of the topic under discussion. Research done by previous scholars is presented and linked to the area under review. This chapter consists of all the past literature published with relevance regarding the topic of the research. The literature review is to identify, obtain and check various sources and other materials that may be useful for research purposes and to extract and compile relevant information necessary to the research problem. The chapter orients the reader to perform a comprehensive review of literature sources (primary and secondary) and determine, on the formulation of the theoretical framework which describes the characteristics of the theories that contribute to sustaining particular research process.

What is Alcohol Abuse?

Howland and Howland observed that prior to Prohibition; most individuals approached alcoholism from the moral standpoint of sin and evil rather from a more scientific perspective. This moralist perspective drove the nation to reach prohibition in the first place, and its demise prompted people to wonder if there was a better explanation for alcohol-related problems other than morality alone. The establishment of Center for Alcohol Studies at Yale University in 1940 spearheaded the movement to discover more scientific explanations of alcoholism. Through psychological research, the Center recognized that alcoholism was a mental disease and could cause other physical complications.

This perspective was slow to gain popularity ...