HARM REDUCTION IS CLEARLY SUCCESSFUL

YOUR RECENT series on homelessness has called attention to the need to
provide care for people living on the street who have addiction and mental
health problems. In addition, addressing the causes of homelessness
including lack of affordable housing, insufficient social assistance levels
and inadequate support is critically important.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), through two of its
founding organizations, the Addiction Research Foundation and the Donwood
Institute, has many years of experience in providing treatment for
addiction, including those based on an abstinence model.

We know that abstinence does not work for everyone. Good research evidence
shows that harm reduction strategies offer practical alternatives to at
least reduce some of the negative consequences of substance use for people
for whom treatment, prevention or criminal sanctions have not succeeded.

Needle exchange programs are often the first point of contact the homeless
have with a care provider and the first step toward getting the services
they desperately need.

Programs like methadone maintenance that reduce the harm to substance users
benefit the entire community through reduced crime and public disorder, in
addition to helping people who were previously marginalized live productive
lives.

Rather than dismissing harm reduction strategies as "trendy" and
ineffective, when many of them are clearly successful, we should be calling
upon government and others to fund the development, trial, evaluation and
implementation of harm reduction strategies for those with substance abuse
problems and the communities in which they live.

Dr. David C. Marsh

Clinical Director,

Addiction Medicine

University of Toronto

(Sure, why not. It's only money)