Reading chapter two of “Harm Reduction Around the World” by Alan Marlatt was very eye opening for me, especially with the harm prevention programs the Dutch and United Kingdom have in terms of drug related crimes. It made me wonder why the United States can’t apply such a model to itself especially with positive results from these two main examples. Holland separates drugs into soft and hard drugs and allows drug addicts to purchase soft drugs in designated locations in order to prevent them from going to dealers who may recommend them hard drugs such as heroin or cocaine. The harm prevention programs in Amsterdam and Holland also gives out methadone in an easier way, where the individual would merely go into a specialized van and take the dosage. It is more efficient than America’s policy where everything is highly regulated to the point where individuals are stigmatized and discouraged from receiving treatment via methadone. Amsterdam’s sex business also prevents many individuals from being harmed, with mandatory condom use and patrolling police offices that protect both worker and client. These methods prevent the contraction of H.I.V. and prevent both the escort and client from being harmed. However, I believe the best harm prevention policy in the chapter was U.K.’s policy of not handing out an arrest on the first time someone is caught with a drug, but instead they give a warning and resources to assist the individual with their addiction.

Government in urban areas should enact many of these harm prevention programs in order to combat the public health crisis many of these areas face. Compared to the United States, where drug addicts and sex workers usually have no way to rehabilitate their way into society because of taboo and threat of imprisonment, harm prevention provides a safe environment for these individuals. Although the chapter stated that it might not work in the United States because of scalability, it would be interesting to see if pilot programs would be put in place in order to test the effectiveness of the program. Plans that provide prescription grade drugs to individuals would prevent them from taking a drug that has been contaminated with fillers. Nevertheless, in order to enact these programs, the government must agree. The article “Emerging Strategies for Health Urban Governance” provided suggestions for what government can do. Ideas such as allowing more people to participate in government planning, having networked organizations, having concentrated goals, and having a way to enforce planning are all good ideas. The article also noted that many urban areas have a government with limited funds and uneducated government officials. I think potential cabinet members who are experts in what they do should be appointed in order to inform and suggest to the government leader of the area what the best course of action would be.