Catholic stance to harm minimization of drug use

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divinefaith

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The Church supports drug/alcohol harm minimization… Correct or not?
 
divinefaith said:
The Church supports drug/alcohol harm minimization… Correct or not?
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Divine,

You have not elaborated however in thinking about this I think you mean this…

peele.net/lib/smart.php

What is Harm Reduction and How Do I Practice It?
Stanton Peele
Member SMART Recovery International Advisory Council
Harm reduction is based on four principles:
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While absolute abstinence may be preferable for many or most substance abusers, very few will achieve it, and even that small group will take time to do so and may relapse periodically;
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Ordinary medical treatment readily accepts and practices ameliorative therapies, which preserve health and well-being even when people fail to observe all recommended health behaviors;
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Therapists should present accurate information to clients and may even express their own beliefs, but they cannot make judgments for clients;
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There are many shades of improvement in every kind of therapy—this improvement may be all that people are capable of and should be encouraged and nurtured.
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Stanton Points out that while those in the USA demand abstinence that there are those that may not quit all together and still need help and still get better…
Accept and respond to improvement. The standard addiction treatment in the U.S. requires the individual to instantaneously and totally give up all use of the problem substance, and rejects anyone who fails to do so! This is cherry-picking of clients, by working only with those who are immediately able to get better. But who then will deal with the vast majority who are not capable of immediate cessation? Substance abuse counselors who wish to work with this large majority need to define intermediate goals, and to recognize such positive steps when these occur.
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If you are asking if the Catholic Church would agree then of course. Any effort to rid yourself of sin by moving towards eliminating the abuse of legal or illegal substances would be a sign of repentance…
 
CopticChristian said:
Divine,

You have not elaborated however in thinking about this I think you mean this…

peele.net/lib/smart.php

What is Harm Reduction and How Do I Practice It?
Stanton Peele
Member SMART Recovery International Advisory Council

Stanton Points out that while those in the USA demand abstinence that there are those that may not quit all together and still need help and still get better…

If you are asking if the Catholic Church would agree then of course. Any effort to rid yourself of sin by moving towards eliminating the abuse of legal or illegal substances would be a sign of repentance…
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Thats a good source to explain it 🙂
in my own words, harm minimization works towards helping those who do not wish to abstain to live more functional lives. This often involves working with the drug user to reduce their drug intake and also work on other life goals.

Basically, harm minimization is to reduce harm caused by drug use. Some methods of harm minimization also involve the safe needle exchange programs. Some of those programs are run by Church welfare organizations.

Yet in speaking about safe needle exchange programs, I found this:
catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=10703
 
“The Holy See does not accept so-called ‘harm reduction’ efforts related to drug use,” he added, referring to measures such as needle-exchange programs. “Such efforts do not respect the dignity of those who are suffering from drug addiction as they do not treat or cure the sick person, but instead falsely suggest that they cannot break free from the cycle of addiction. Such persons must be provided the necessary spiritual, psychological and familial support to break free from the addictive behavior in order to restore their dignity and encourage social inclusion.”
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april32010:
I dont understand why the Church would say this… its still a good deed to help keep drug users safer. Not everyone chooses to quit so wont it be better to provide a safer measure?

Besides, is that statement made part of infallible/binding teachings?
 
divinefaith said:
Thats a good source to explain it 🙂
in my own words, harm minimization works towards helping those who do not wish to abstain to live more functional lives. This often involves working with the drug user to reduce their drug intake and also work on other life goals.

Basically, harm minimization is to reduce harm caused by drug use. Some methods of harm minimization also involve the safe needle exchange programs. Some of those programs are run by Church welfare organizations.

Yet in speaking about safe needle exchange programs, I found this:
catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=10703
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Divine,

I suggest you consider using the proper jargon as pointed out in your reference…Harm Reduction…
“The Holy See does not accept so-called ‘harm reduction’ efforts related to drug use,” he added, referring to measures such as needle-exchange programs. “Such efforts do not respect the dignity of those who are suffering from drug addiction as they do not treat or cure the sick person, but instead falsely suggest that they cannot break free from the cycle of addiction.
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april32010:
April,

I believe that the notion of Harm Reduction that Peele is speaking of is within the confines of a therapeutic relationship and the article speaks of other than that. The notion of Harm Reduction appears to have been borrowed to activities like this. The Church is in favor of repentance for the issue of needle based drug addiction and would of course not favor the use of clean needles however would welcome the repentant who came home however that may have happened/
 
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april32010:
Could you please cite the source please, thanks.

I cannot understand this stance. The fact is that many addicts on the hard stuff cannot get off it. I know someone who mixed with the wrong people. Smart, kind guy, was a banker. He tried, went to rehab many times. A few in his family wrote him off. He died terribly. I get very sad when I think about it.

While it may be a sin to get into drugs, how can they be considered when the vice never lets go once they are hooked.
 
CopticChristian said:
April,

I believe that the notion of Harm Reduction that Peele is speaking of is within the confines of a therapeutic relationship and the article speaks of other than that. The notion of Harm Reduction appears to have been borrowed to activities like this. The Church is in favor of repentance for the issue of needle based drug addiction and would of course not favor the use of clean needles however would welcome the repentant who came home however that may have happened/
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Dont really understand your point.
Some Harm reduction programs involve needle exchange programs, because its simply minimizing risks of harm like HIV and overdose. I don’t understand how the Church says its against that… in my opinion its making the already existing problem, less of a risk. Keeping drug misuse is already an existing problem.

I wouldn’t call the process of quitting/reducing drug use as repentance. When many users are dependent on their drug I’d prefer to look at them as going through a psychological issue rather than sin.

The Church made the statement I posted, yet so many Catholic organizations are advocating and offering programs like needle exchange. It makes question if the stance the Church made is universal/binding.
 
severus68 said:
Could you please cite the source please, thanks.

I cannot understand this stance. The fact is that many addicts on the hard stuff cannot get off it. I know someone who mixed with the wrong people. Smart, kind guy, was a banker. He tried, went to rehab many times. A few in his family wrote him off. He died terribly. I get very sad when I think about it.

While it may be a sin to get into drugs, how can they be considered when the vice never lets go once they are hooked.
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I dont understand how it is even referred to as ‘sin’ when drug dependence is known as a mental disorder. Besides, many people who use it to begin with had a pre-existing mental disorder e.g. depression, schizophrenia etc.

I really dont look at drug dependence as ‘sin’.
 
divinefaith said:
Dont really understand your point.
Some Harm reduction programs involve needle exchange programs, because its simply minimizing risks of harm like HIV and overdose. I don’t understand how the Church says its against that… in my opinion its making the already existing problem, less of a risk. Keeping drug misuse is already an existing problem.

I wouldn’t call the process of quitting/reducing drug use as repentance. When many users are dependent on their drug I’d prefer to look at them as going through a psychological issue rather than sin.

The Church made the statement I posted, yet so many Catholic organizations are advocating and offering programs like needle exchange. It makes question if the stance the Church made is universal/binding.
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Divine,

Did you read thelink to Stanton Peele in Post #4. I also suggest you click the link I provided where it says further reading. Harm Reduction in this context is meeting the client where they are and not insisiting on abstinence. It is in the context of a therapeutic relationship.

You are speaking of efforts to reduce risk for those that continue to use ie clean needles not in the context of a therapeutic relationship and calling it Harm Reduction. I believe that they are two different entities.
 
Thanks Coptic.

I read the source. Are you saying harm reduction in the context of therapy is different?
Do you say that because a therapist is simply being objective in helping the client form their own decisions and then only working from there to reduce more serious harm?

If so, then I clearly understand your point.
 
CopticChristian said:
speaking of efforts to reduce risk for those that continue to use ie clean needles not in the context of a therapeutic relationship and calling it Harm Reduction. I believe that they are two different entities.
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Right, its basic damage control.
 
divinefaith said:
Thanks Coptic.

I read the source. Are you saying harm reduction in the context of therapy is different?
Do you say that because a therapist is simply being objective in helping the client form their own decisions and then only working from there to reduce more serious harm?

If so, then I clearly understand your point.
Click to expand...
Divine,

I believe that the issue is that most of those that ascribe to the disease model demand abstinence in a therapeutic relationship. Harm reduction suggests meeting the client where they are to engage them to decide in time that abstinence or moderation may be more frutiful.

Harm reduction in the bigger picture has been extended to the clean needles, condoms for AIDS and this is not in the therapeutic relationship.
 
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