*sigh*

Harm REDUCTION does NOT mean "no harm". Where is it? You find it when you COMPARE him to what the OTHER candidate will do. https://twitter.com/BethLynch2020/status/1296843605471100929

I'm starting to think you assholes just aren't even TRYING to understand what "harm reduction" means.

"OH MY GOD!!! GIVING OPIATE ADDICTS CLEAN NEEDLES DOESN'T STOP THEM FROM OVERDOSING ON FENTANYL!!! WHERE'S THE HARM REDUCTION??!?"

- @BethLynch2020

Is it just that Americans have so little experience with harm reduction programs that none of you even understand the concept?

Here, I'll explain it:

Harm reduction is a thing you do when confronted with a problem that is extremely difficult - or impossible under present circumstances - to solve.

You shift your focus from FIXING the problem to simply REDUCING THE NEGATIVE IMPACT.

The classic…

…examples are heroin addiction and violence and exploitation of sex workers.

To focus on the former:

Heroin addiction is never going away. Attempts to get rid of it by criminalizing its use, or trying to get everyone into rehab, or destroying the supply, etc etc etc have…

…ALL failed, and have in fact INCREASED the harm that heroin does to users and communities.

So we decide that instead of trying to get everyone off heroin and eliminate the supply, we focus on the worst problems it causes: HIV, infection, property crime, and overdose.

So we set up:

Distribution of free, sterile needles, as well as alcohol swabs, ampules of sterile water, and sterile cookers, to minimize transmission of HIV and Hepatitis, and the frequency of infection.

Safe-injection sites, and partial decriminaliztion of usage, to reduce…

…the fatality rate of overdoses (oh and also distribution of free naloxone kits, and free training in their use).

Free methadone, and in some cases free heroin, to reduce property crime associated with the addiction.

CRITICS of these programs say "but all of these things…

…ENABLE people to use. They aren't FIXING things! They don't create a perfect solution!"

Well, there IS no perfect solution. People are going to use anyway. And these programs OBJECTIVELY, DEMONSTRATABLY make things better for users and the communities they live in. SO STFU.

THAT is Harm Reduction.

The problem, be it widespread heroin addiction or a shitty, exploitative, right-wing government, doesn't get "solved", but there ARE no absolute solutions, and WE REDUCE THE HARM THAT THE PROBLEM CAUSES.

Only assholes think that's not worth pursuing.