2.6 KiB
2.6 KiB
- I watched the video about the research base behind harm reduction for alcohol use in Seattle and read the article "The shelter that gives wine to alcoholics." Both of these sources discussed the idea of managed alcohol programs (MAPs). A very large percentage of people that are struggling with homelessness are also struggling with alcohol addictions and since many shelters require those using them to be sober, many people are not able to use them. With a severe alcohol addiction, it can be challenging for these people to focus on other aspects of their lives and often it will be very challenging for them to improve their situation. Managed alcohol programs help these people by eliminating the concern of withdrawals which can cause death as well as their need to beg for or steal alcohol. Many people in these programs are able to then focus on other parts of their life and even eventually start drinking less and moving away from their addictions. Both of these sources discussed many of the same ideas and advantages to these programs, although the video discussed its implementation in Seattle while the article was discussing these programs in Canada.
- When reading about these problems and some of the solutions that have been tried, I don't have a very strong opinion since I don't feel like I know very much about this topic. After reading the articles though, it does make sense to me that for many people who have severe alcohol addictions there is often not an option for them to simply stop drinking. Especially with extreme withdrawal symptoms, providing the opportunity to slowly decrease alcohol intake and avoid these symptoms seems like a good way to decrease dependence even though it might take more perseverance or dedication.
- I haven't seen many examples of alcohol abuse or dependence in my life, but based on media and the articles I have read alcohol abuse can have a large impact on the people around someone. When someone is always looking for where their next drink will be or is not sober very often it can be hard for them to connect with the people around them which can result in them losing contact with the people they love. In one of the articles I read there was a story about a man who had lost contact with his sons because he didn't want them to see him as an alcoholic. This can also affect people on a much larger scale and several of the articles mentioned the increased spending on emergency room visits and ambulance usage. This can affect the community at large, and programs like MAPs have been shown to help decrease this spending and improve outcomes for these people.