Isn harm reduction a controversial idea?
Anti-tobacco advocates think that it is, but this is simply not true. Most all of public health, and a large part of medical care, is devoted to harm reduction. The term “harm reduction” is most often used in controversial contexts, like encouraging condom use and other safe sex practices, or providing heroin users with clean needles or methadone. Calling it “harm reduction” reminds us that people would be at less risk of disease if they avoided sex or gave up narcotics entirely, but we cannot expect that to happen. But harm reduction is also our policy in most matters of health. Driving and other transport is a dangerous activity, but we do not suggest that people give it up. We do not even tell them to limit it to “necessary” trips, avoiding vacations or trips to the video store. Instead, we have rules of the road that make it safer, encourage (or mandate) seatbelt use, and build cars with safety features. Similarly, we do not tell people they have to give up playing hockey, bicyclin
