SETTING GOALS FOR DRUG POLICY - HARM REDUCTION OR USE REDUCTION

Historically, United States drug policy has focused on we reduction; h arm reduction is a prominent alternative. This paper aims to provoke a nd inform more debate about the relative merits of these two. Since ha rm is not necessarily proportional to use, use reduction and harm redu ction differ. Both terms are somewhat ambiguous; precisely defining th em clarifies thinking and policy implications. Measures associated wit h we reduction goals ave poor; those associated with harm reduction ar e even worse. National goals influence the many decentralized individu als who collectively make drug policy; clearly enunciating goals makes some policy choices transparent and goals serve a variety of purposes besides guiding programmatic decisions. We recommend that the overall objective be to minimize the total harm associated with drug producti on, distribution, consumption and control. Reducing use should be seen as a principal means of attaining that end.