Since the 1990 First International Conference on the reduction of Drug-Related Harm, the term 'harm reduction' has gained wide currency in public health and drug policy. Hitherto, a heated struggle between prohibition and legalization of addictive substances occupied the field, and this debate tended to obscure practical, collective approaches. Harm reduction, an emerging blend of policy directives and program initiatives, is of growing interest to scholars in several disciplines. This new approach was inspired by the positive outcomes of such public measures as needle exchange programs for reduction of HIV risk, methadone maintenance programs, education on the risks of tobacco use, and server intervention programs for the alcohol industry.

The sustained intellectual effort to conceptualize and evaluate this method of treating substance use problems is proving fruitful, but as yet, only a few papers on the subject have emerged. Ranging from history and social theory to human rights considerations, this book is illustrative of the scope and vigour of the emerging harm reduction model. The essays, appearing for the first time in this collection, cover a wide variety of topics which include policy; women and reproductive issues; the experiences of special populations; concepts, discourse, and human rights; defining and measuring harm; and interventions.

Researchers and practitioners will benefit greatly from the varied papers in the volume which combine insights into policy-making and frontline outreach efforts with comprehensive conceptual and empirical approaches. Harm Reduction represents an important initiative in making academic work accessible and useful to a larger community, and provides guidance for policy evolution and programs.