Harm Reduction: Pragmatic Strategies for Managing High-Risk Behaviors

Harm reduction principles and strategies are designed to minimize the destructive consequences of illicit drug use and other behaviors that may pose serious health risks. Rather than insisting on abstinence as a prerequisite to continued treatment, proponents of the harm reduction approach aim to meet drug users "where they're at" with community-based services that empower diverse clients to set and meet their own treatment goals. The first major harm reduction text, this provocative and timely volume examines a wide range of current applications-from needle exchange and methadone maintenance programs, to alternative alcohol interventions and AIDS prevention campaigns. Insight is also offered into the often contentious philosophical and policy-related debates surrounding this growing movement. This text will be of interest to frontline drug and alcohol treatment providers, AIDS educators, community health activists, students and professionals in public health, clinical and health psychology, psychiatry, primary care, counseling, and social work; readers interested in drug policy and the law.