What Is Harm Reduction?
Harm Reduction is the effort of reducing the risk of a dangerous or unhealthy habit or activity without completely cutting it out. It is the soft landing alternative to the “Cold Turkey” approach, the origins of which according to Chatgpt is from the 1920’s which was meant to describe symptoms of withdrawal, which includes the sight and sensation of goosebumps. Something an addict in very early recovery might experience coming off of alcohol and hard drug dependency. Much like losing weight, positive and meaningful progress occurs slowly over time, with quick and aggressive changes tending to lead back to regression and slip ups. With tools like nicotine patches and gum for smokers and tobacco snuff users, this fact seems to be well established and accepted. How often do these tools actually work though? In my personal experience these “aids” only furthered my own nicotine addiction. One which to this day I am still an on again, off again user and have been since I was eighteen years old. We will now explore the ups and downsides of the needle exchange SSP (Syringe Services Program).
What Is SSP?
Syringe Services Programs distribute clean “points” (as my circle of friends would call the syringes) as well as Narcan, a life saving medicine that can bring people back from the brink of a fatal overdose. Addicts can also hand in their used heroin, meth and drug points to prevent spread of infectious diseases. As an addict who was an IV drug user, I could see the necessity of these programs as syringes were often bought and sold between people, because they were seen as commodities. I do not know if the needle exchange program existed in my time, but chances are we would have taken full advantage of them had we been aware of their existence. However one does have to ask the obvious question “Does this enable addicts to continue their habits?”. My opinion is that it does, however despite legal and ethical barriers galore, no such issues ever stopped me or anyone else I knew who were actively involved in drug culture. As a matter of fact, I hid needles in my parent’s home-their basement mainly. Whether they were used or not I was rather careless about how and where I stored or disposed of my needles.
The Nature Of Addiction
The big book of alcoholics anonymous and the basic text of Narcotics Anonymous both describe addiction as a “disease” and more broadly, most would consider it a mental illness, which it almost certainly is. As a mental illness-particularly if you are dismissive of the “disease angle”, what we know of it is its irrational nature and ability to greatly impact the afflicted. Such a desperate state it is that in fact, the addict will behave against their own values in order to get a fix. It is very difficult to convey the grip that addiction has on its hosts. Yet, it appears even non-addicts (whom we in recovery circles tend to refer to as “normies”) can seemingly struggle with nicotine addiction in a way that mirrors our issues with mind altering substances, minus the crime sprees associated with gathering the funds to feed the habit. For us, there is no “in between”, no midway between addiction and sobriety. We are a category of people whose use of substances results in life ruination often in the form of jails, institutions and death. It takes profound suffering and grief in order to take that first step, yet some manage to find their way into support groups before DUI’s and prison trips ever become a part of their story.
If anything in this mini article interested you, please sound off in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you!
