Substance use management: A harm reduction-principled approach to assisting the relief of drug-related problems

Disease (particularly HIV) has increased our motivation to reconsider how t he current help system deals with drug-related problems. A more concrete fo cus on disease prevention as an additional goal has, for many, lead to a re evaluation of the goals of drug help work. Such a critical examination show s how much there is to improve within the system even in the absence of blo od borne disease. Integrating the heart of harm reduction-respecting work o n any positive change as a person defines it for his/herself-into treatment fashions a health sensitive alternative to the predominant practice of abs tinence-only assistance for the relief of drug problems. This new approach is called substance use management (SUM), as it no longer requires abstinen ce but instead focuses on a range of options for improvements while still i ncluding abstinence among the possible self-selected outcomes. SUM is sugge sted as a framework for change within the treatment system that would maxim ize treatment's constructive impact, cost-effectiveness and maturation as a distinct discipline that can appropriately attract support and gain statur e for making society healthier. This article describes a formalized system for applying some of the main principles of harm reduction within the treat ment system. Viable options for a SUM treatment focus are suggested herein as well as a critical process, based on respect and collaboration, for use with these options.