Comments on: In defence of harm reduction…but thank you Carl Hart

By: Benjamin Collier

Benjamin Collier — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 09:26:35 +0000

Thank you for this interesting article. From the UK my opinion is I agree. We need to have an official review to look at a new model to not only support people but also to highlight that while we continue to isolate and stigmatise drug use the problem will only get worse. We need to reform the UK 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act. After supporting the care of drug users I realised:

– Prescribing methadone from GP is not supporting client care.
– Safe drug consumption rooms* maybe a way forward.
– Therapeutic communities (TCs) are a common form of long-term residential treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) which work.
– Drug users should no longer be called “recovering” as there is no end in sight. A different wording should be used.
– Better fund the police, and social healthcare to support them.
– Include alcohol, cigarettes and vape in to the reformed Act!

By: peopleandd

peopleandd — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 21:07:10 +0000

Important point you make here. I think Hart’s book mainly deals with the drugs issue in the context of the USA. He recognises the harm of drugs and has studied harm of drugs for many years. I think his frustration comes from the fact that the research agenda globally is dominated by a focus on harm to the detriment of pleasure, which is problematic for our ability to understand the issue in a fuller, more complex manner. I would still recommend reading his work, but also accompany your reading with some other work which centres global harm of the drug trade, for example. – Giulia

By: Ediomo-Ubong Nelson

Ediomo-Ubong Nelson — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 14:01:00 +0000

I have not yet read Dr Hart’s book, but going by Dr Zampini’s response, I wonder how many drug consumers can afford good sleep, nutritious foods and regular exercise. A sizeable proportion of drug consumers, particularly in the part of the world where I live (sub-saharan Africa), come from the most marginalised sectors of society, and cannot afford these things. Drug harms are amplified by conditions of social marginalisation, so if we jettison harm reduction as Dr Hart suggests how shall we deal with the consequences of drug use in these populations?