Kevin A. Sabet: The harm-reduction movement has lost sight of what truly matters

Those who prioritize safe supply and MAID over treatment and recovery have given up on improving the lives of people struggling with addiction

Now, as the drug crisis has further spiralled out of control, some people want to double down on these policies, including decriminalization, expanding safe supply and allowing MAID for drug users. Harm-reduction advocates made inroads by arguing that individuals should be kept alive so that they can ultimately enter treatment and be given a second chance at life. Now, the movement has been hyper-extended to a grim point, where some seem to have given up on the prospect of a better tomorrow.

Harm reduction is not inherently bad. For those on the far end of the use spectrum — the hard to reach, hard to engage with population — it can be a way to bring them into services and get them into recovery. Meeting people where they are at can be valuable to get them the help they need. But it is only one of many tools, reserved for those who really need it.

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