The "war on drugs" has traditionally held total abstinence as its target. The contributors to this book argue that abstinence is not the only solution. They believe that existing methods of treatment and control have been inadequate in controlling or improving drug problems and they propose a radical alternative: reducing the harm associated with the use of illicit drugs. International in scope, the book covers a broad range of drugs, and of social and individual problems. The spread of HIV infection, which has been described as a greater threat to individual and public health than drug misuse is also considered. The contributors give an overview of the current theories and practices that have helped to minimize the harmful effects of drugs and describe national and city-level strategies towards drug problems. They also cover the drug policies of several agencies and organizations world-wide, including police, doctors, community groups and local authorities. This book should be of interest to professionals and students of social policy and criminology, policy-makers, local governments and health professionals.