Pros and Cons of Harm Reduction - Free Essay Example

On the one hand, harm reduction, also known as harm reduction, has the general benefit of reducing the negative physical and social corollaries linked to addiction. This public health policy is beneficial as it provides the addicts with safe injection supplies such as clean syringes to overcome the needle-sharing system leading to disease transmission (Rushton, 2018). However, on the other hand, harm reduction contains some drawbacks, as it can lead to addiction propagation. They also claim that consumption facilities encourage the use of illicit drugs in the nation. In this case, some addictions may rely on harm reduction rather than focusing on getting sober.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

The debate over safe consumption facilities.

There has been a stiff debate over the safe consumption facilities. Those who advocate for injection sites claim that they offer invaluable services to addicts and provide a secure, government-sanctioned location to use IV drugs. For instance, Vancouver has supplied the addicts with syringes to prevent the sharing of needles, leading to blood transmissive infections (Olding et al. 2020). However, those opposing the safe injections argue that the consumption facilities encourage people to use illegal drugs. For instance, in New York City, they claim that it is a crime not only to practice illicit drugs but also to maintain and manage sites that support the use and distribution of illegal narcotics. However, according to et al. (2020), NYC has finally decided to support harm reduction but in the utilization of supervised injection facilities.

My stand over harm reduction debate

I support the harm reduction system. In the availability of the injection facilities, the addicts are less likely to transmit diseases through needle sharing. Since the opioid epidemic is accelerating and showing no sign of slowing down, the injection facilities are essential in addressing the addicts. The safe injection sites afford fundamental medical healthcare aid programs for the user willing to receive drug treatment, according to O’Keefe et al., (2019). It also tenders a variety of escape means from the cycle of active addiction. Besides, it facilitates the addicts in accessing ultimate healthcare and drug education services. Therefore, I support the introduction of safe injection facilities

References

O’Keefe, D., Bluthenthal, R. N., Kral, A. H., Aitken, C. K., McCormack, A., & Dietze, P. M. (2019). Measures of harm reduction service provision for people who inject drugs. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 97(9), 605.

Olding, M., Ivins, A., Mayer, S., Betts, A., Boyd, J., Sutherland, C., ... & McNeil, R. (2020). A Low-Barrier and Comprehensive Community-Based Harm-Reduction Site in Vancouver, Canada. American Journal of Public Health, 110(6), 833-835.

Parkin, S., Neale, J., Brown, C., Campbell, A. N., Castillo, F., Jones, J. D., ... & Comer, S. D. (2020). Opioid overdose reversals using naloxone in New York City by people who use opioids: implications for public health and overdose harm reduction approaches from a qualitative study. International Journal of Drug Policy, 79, 102751.

Rushton, S. (2018). Promoting Pro-health Policies Across Regimes: Global AIDS Institutions and the Harm Reduction Debate. Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations, 24(2), 267-286.