The problem of drug regulation is standing acute for the United States, and the debates around it outline various perspectives and approaches to the issue. It is obvious that drug use can and needs to be regulated; however, the “War on Drugs” experience shows that the country needs a more sustainable solution that just completely banning the drugs. One of the most promising directions of drug policy is the increasingly widespread model of harm reduction. The definition of harm reduction refers to the policies and activities whose main purpose is to abolish the negative social, economic, and health consequences of drug use without necessarily ending overall drug use. This paper will explore why drug use should be regulated – and how to do it more safely and effectively.
Recently, Biden’s administration announced a new approach to battling drug addiction in the country. Department of Health and Human Services’ 2022 Harm Reduction Program will focus, among other points, on providing safe drug use equipment to the affected population (The United States Government 2022). Indeed, having accepted the situation from a pragmatic point of view – the problem exists and is recognized by society regardless of laws or any morals – only realistic methods can minimize the risk associated with it. Harm reduction interventions are complementary to the drug use prevention approach. They are based on the belief that many people continue to use drugs despite all efforts to stop them. Thus, drug users need adequate counseling and various services to help reduce the risks and harms associated with drug use.
Harm reduction approach is based on the logical recognition that the use of narcotic substances has been and is currently occurring in every culture and social formation. Despite many years of efforts, no country, city or community has so far been able to completely eradicate the use of psychoactive substances. Thus, society needs to work around that issue, minimizing its consequences in the long run. Csák et al. (2021) add that “harm reduction approach serves a population that, due to stigma, discrimination and criminalisation, faces barriers to accessing health and social services” (p. 1). This strategy, like prevention in general, helps people adopt healthier lifestyles by providing continuous support and specific means that target most relevant safety issues associated with drug addiction.
All over the world, but especially in the United States, the use of harm reduction approach is accompanied by conflicting opinions of the local population. Despite the scientifically proven effectiveness of these services, the opinion of residents, and often politicians, about harm reduction programs in most cases remains negative. The study conducted by Schlosser et al. (2022) reports a significant stigma around drug users in the U.S.. The most recent case of such reaction is the storm in the newspapers as they claimed that Biden would be giving free drugs to the people with the new harm reduction program (Stolberg 2022). Other examples include cases where people are of the opinion that syringe exchange contributes to the prosperity of the drug market and the increase in the number of drug users. In many ways, this phenomenon is characterized by the following attitude: even if this service is necessary, it cannot be provided “near my house” (Not In My Back Yard, or NIMBY).
Reduction of harm benefits society through a continuous decline in drug usage, control of discarded tools related to drug abuse, and lowering of the associated costs of health, law enforcement, and criminal law. It lowers the negative impact of the open drug environment on local trade and improves the climate for tourism and economic development. However, the country should also try and design better drug use prevention strategies to reduce the chances of vulnerable populations getting into addictions. Still, the harm reduction approach does not diminish the importance of trying to help people quit drugs altogether, but acknowledges and recognizes that for many drug users this goal can take a very long time. Overall, drug regulation should not be limited to the goal of complete cessation of use, but be aimed at safety-related problems and their minimization.
References
Csák, R., Shirley-Beavan, S., McHenry, A. E., Daniels, C., & Burke-Shyne, N. (2021). Harm reduction must be recognised an essential public health intervention during crises.Harm Reduction Journal, 18(1). Web.
Schlosser, A., Habecker, P., & Bevins, R. (2022). Harm reduction in the Heartland: Public Knowledge and beliefs about Naloxone in Nebraska, USA. Harm Reduction Journal, 19(1). Web.
Stolberg, S. G. (2022). Uproar over ‘Crack pipes’ puts Biden Drug Strategy At Risk. The New York Times. Web.
The United States Government. (2022). White House releases list of actions taken by the Biden-Harris Administration since January 2021 to address addiction and the overdose epidemic. The White House. Web.