HARM REDUCTION - CHANGE OF PARADIGM IN TH E FIELD OF DRUG AID

Until the mid 80's drug aid in Germany was characterized by the orient ation towards abstinence as the decisive goal in treatment and advisin g of drug addicts which had to be reached directly. The process of cha nge in psychiatry, the work of the Aids-centres and the international discussion about harm reduction have been taken into account in German y more and more in the face of growing problems in the field of drug a id and increasing poverty among drug addicts. Harm reduction is orient ated on the real problems and ressources of drug addicts. The historic al background and the future demands of harm reduction are discussed.