Harm Reduction: Focus on Pleasure, Not Risks of Injecting Drugs

[Hep Editors]

Think like an injection drug user: Once a needle has punctured the skin it becomes blunt, is painful and takes longer to use for additional injections. Reused needles are more likely to lead to stigmatizing scars or track marks, and can damage veins, making it more difficult to inject in the future.

A new study suggests that harm reduction programs focusing on these more short-term, pleasure and physical function-related incentives are more likely to succeed than scare tactics that address more distant health problems -- such as hepatitis C or HIV risk -- and may ultimately work better at quelling the diseases.

What do you think?

http://www.hepmag.com/articles/safe_injection_pleasure_2501_26624.shtml

[Mike]

I don't know what to think about this - other then a specious production masking as qualitative research.

Here's some new short-term, pleasure-function slogans: "Use a new pin - no scarred skin." "A brand new rig means a better gig." "A  new shiny syringe leads to a better binge." "Avoid scar bumps - don't use blunts."

And color-coding rigs for couples - with matching bio-hazardous waste disposal bins - I'm still shaking my head.

This seems like a "minimize the negatives of IV drug use and accentuate how to have a more positive experience shooting dope" type of approach to addiction management.