Conferences further the debate on the future of drug treatment Information

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Conferences further the debate on the future of drug treatment

Drugscope recently organised three conferences around the country focussing on the debate of the future of drug treatment, particularly regarding the opening division between those who believe abstinence and those who believe harm reduction are the ways forward.

Conference delegates engaged in a Question Time style debate on issues such as the position of methadone within the drugs field, the changing language around drug treatment and the increased political focus on the concept of recovery. Definitions of concepts such as recovery, treatment, abstinence and harm reduction were also questioned and debated. The impact of stigma on drug users was also discussed.

The conclusions from the debates included the view that those in the drug treatment field need to stop arguing amongst themselves about whether maintenance is better than abstinence or harm reduction is better than prevention, and instead bring their ample communication skills to bear to address the outside world.

Sara McGrail, who spoke at the London debate commented: we need to challenge our own tendency to factionalise and fragment. We must stop being so defensive that every challenge to the drug treatment system causes us to turn in on ourselves and argue.

Article published on 22/04/2020 by PCUG Addiction Treatment