HARM REDUCTION IN BRITAIN

Harm Reduction Intervention in Britain Substance Misuse Services



Harm Reduction Intervention in Britain Substance Misuse Services

Introduction

Harm Reduction or harm minimization is one of the most critical aspects of public health policies wherein the overall focus of the policies is on how to reduce the harmful impacts of the recreational drugs or even other high risk/high impact activities. It is critical to note that various studies have indicated the emergence of HIV/AIDS as the direct result of the failure to take appropriate measures (Seymour, 1997, 201-206). Developing countries or rather poor countries therefore have the largest incidences of the HIV/AIDS due to injection needle insertions causing further complications (Stimson, 1997, 178-80). In order to overcome harms and complications, it is always important that a comprehensive harm reduction program is planned and executed in such a manner that it minimizes the harm.

A comprehensive harm reduction program or activities therefore always aim to take a broader view of the drug use, how it can create harm and what actions can be taken to reduce such harm. Harm reduction therefore does not need to fall into the ambit of harm to the health only, the social and economic affects of such harm shall also be accounted for (David Hunter, 2003)( Dahlgren and Whitehead,1991). It is because of this reason that any initiative aimed at harm reduction must be comprehensive enough to cater to different and diversified determinants of the harm reduction.

This literature review will therefore focus on the harm reduction interventions in Britain substance misuse services by reviewing the policies and programs and actions that have been undertaken to reduce the harm associated with the drug use. The writer is a key worker in substance misuse at the Community Addiction Unit (CAU) at Cardiff and Vale LHB, Cardiff Royal Infirmary.

Harm Reduction

UK Harm Reduction Alliance (UKHRA) defines harm reduction in really broader terms and includes a diversified set of terms to explain and define the term. This definition is however, borrowed from the work of Newcombe who defines harm reduction as:

“Harm reduction is a term that defines policies, programmes, services and actions that work to reduce the health; social; and economic harms to individuals; communities; and society that are associated with the use of drugs” (Newcombe 1992, 11)

The above definition of harm reduction therefore indicate that harm reduction encompasses policies and programmes that are basically aimed at reducing the impact of drug use not only on the individuals but also on the communities as well as a society as a whole (Friedman, 1993). Further, the overall range of harms includes health, social as well as economic that can potentially damage not only an individual's life but also affect the society as a whole (Marlatt, 2002).

It is critical to note that the use of drugs is considered as a normal phenomenon as it carries much health related benefit such (Mayer, 1982, p. 1185) As such the harm reduction is considered as pragmatic because it accommodates the use of drugs and does not ...