Opinion: Sobriety is just one pathway to recovery. Harm reduction is another
I believe in the power of sobriety and the #12steps. But that's not everyone's pathway, and it doesn't have to be. #Harmreduction strategies are right for some.
In Washington state, where I live and work, the only kind of substance-use treatment currently allowed by state law is abstinence-based treatment, or treatment that demands sobriety. So as a substance-use treatment professional, that’s what I’ve been providing.
But I started realizing that this approach wasn’t reaching many of those struggling with substance use disorders. In fact, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that had a substance use disorder in 2016, but only 11 percent of those who needed treatment received it. Of the other 89 percent,
