Author/Editor		Maremmani, Icro; Pacini, Matteo; Lubrano, Sonia; Giuntoli, Giuseppe; Lovrečič, Mercedes
Title		Zmanjševanje škode in posebna obravnava bolezni odvisnosti. Različni pristopi ali nivoji intervencij?
Translated title		Harm reduction and specific treatments for addiction. Different approaches or levels of intervention? An illness-centred perspectives
Type		članek
Source		Odvisnosti
Vol. and No.		Letnik 3, št. 1-2
Publication year		2002
Volume		str. 26-8
Language		eng
Abstract		So far harm-reduction campaigns have been so focusing on personal and social needs of heroin addicts, in order to prevent the consequences of addictive behaviours. An incorrect dichotomy appears to be usually thought of when comparing harm-reduction intarventions to specific treatments for heroin addiction. Nevertheless, some of the specific targets in the treatment of heroin addiction, as well as features of mentally ill subpopulations, may be reasonable targets for harm reduction, too. Convergence upon overlapping targets may be hypothesised as long as harm reduction and specific treatment come to share the same therapeutic instruments. Opioid-agonists, the primary option for the specific treatment of heroin addiction, may also serve as harm reduction instruments, as long as harm reduction is conceived as means to act upon the same disease, though at a low-the shold levet. The personal and social impact of possible agonist-mediated harmreduction would be of particular weight for higherrisk populations, such as mentally-ill heroin users, who have shown sensitive to therapeutical opioid agonism. Harm reduction should be-rather regarded as a lower level of approach to more severely disabled subjects, bridging between the street and the clinical settings by a sub-therapeutic but specific pharmacotherapy. Stepping from a harm reduction to a higher level of intervention should represent the ultimate goal of harm reduotion itself. Transition to specific treatment is of particular importance for dually diagnosed addicts, who are expected to be granted greater relative benefit and, otherwise, are likely to be presently excluded from the opportunity of a positive outcome.
Descriptors		SUBSTANCE DEPENDENCE HEROIN DEPENDENCE METHADONE BUPRENORPHINE