When talking about straying away from addiction, I think it would be best to take the abstinence model. The fact of the matter is, in the other model the people are still using the drugs. Sure, it stops the spreading of disease more, but I think it would be more beneficial to try to get people off the drugs in general. In terms of health, toward the general population maybe the clean needle model will help a lot, but I don’t think it is helping at all in terms of taking people off drugs. I’m thinking the main purpose presented in this prompt is to get people off drugs. In the last sentence ending the prompt, it asks how you would treat this toward a family member. Specifically, it says which model would you suggest to a loved one who is fighting addiction. I personally, think in just about every scenario I would recommend the abstinence model. I think it’s better for people to be off drugs, getting clean, making a better life for themselves. I don’t believe giving out clean needles and endorsing the thought of doing drugs will help with that at all. So, maybe it takes going to those AA-type meetings, maybe it takes an intervention or two to get those wheels in the right direction, but it’s doing something. I think the other way just gives the wrong impression and doesn’t necessarily make anyone clean in terms of drug-free, just clean in the way of not spreading disease.
First Impression #7
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CurtisCollegeBlog 
While the harm-reduction model does make sure the substance use is done in a safer way, it does not aim to promote the usage of drugs or the continuation of abuse: the first goal is simply to make sure that the substance use is causing as little damage as possible at the moment. You are right in saying the abstinence method would be a more direct line of defense against drug use itself, but the risk of withdrawl symptoms, relapses, and overdoses should be considered before diving right in. A way to combat this would possibly be to start with the harm-reduction model, to begin a gradual lessening of risk, and then easing into abstinence.
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