For most of the twentieth century, medical professionals, as well as the general public, understood addiction as a moral disorder. Addicts were judged as people who could not control their impulses or who made bad choices. 12 Step support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) became the dominant treatment approach. Now addiction specialists — physicians, psychiatrists, neurologists, toxicology researchers and other professionals … Continue reading Defining Addiction »

Harm reduction is a philosophy based in the idea that drug use cannot be eliminated immediately, and probably will never be eliminated completely, but that the negative effects of drug use can be meaningfully reduced. Harm reduction can be tactical, such as enabling injection-drug users to exchange clean needles for dirty ones, to prevent the spread of disease and keep hazardous waste out of the … Continue reading Why Harm Reduction? »