Twelve-step programs that insist on abstinence can be beneficial - but what about those who try to quit and fail, just want to cut down, or wish to work toward sobriety gradually? This text introduces Harm Reduction, an alternative to traditional treatment that helps users set and meet their own goals for gaining control over drinking and drugs.

Introduction: What Is Harm Reduction, Anyway?1. Addiction: Is It All or Nothing?2. So If We’re Not Addicts, What’s the Harm?3. How Much Is Too Much?4. So Why Do I Keep Using?5. To Change or Not to Change6. How Do I Know Exactly What My Problem Is?--What Are These Drugs, Anyway?--7. Practicing Harm Reduction: Substance Use Management8. Practicing Harm Reduction: How to Take Care of Yourself While Still Using9. Finding the Right Help10. Is Harm Reduction Working?11. How to Talk to Family and Friends about Harm ReductionA Letter to Families and FriendsResourcesSources and Suggested Readings in Harm ReductionIndexAbout the Authors

"Imagine if all that counted in helping people with drug problems were science, compassion, health, and common sense. Imagine if the bottom line were simply a matter of helping people get their lives together, one step at a time, in their own particular way. Read this wonderful book, and what you imagine just might become real. "--Ethan Nadelmann, PhD, Executive Director, Drug Policy Alliance"At last, a user-friendly guide to harm reduction! If you or someone you care about are seeking an alternative to abstinence-only programs, I highly recommend this book. It offers ample solace, support, information, and the skills you need to understand harm reduction and use it to make positive changes in your life. The authors are compassionate and pragmatic, and their extensive experience is reflected on every page."--G. Alan Marlatt, PhD, Addictive Behaviors Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle"Over the Influence is not only the best-named book about recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, it is also the best written, most concise, and most emotionally real of all the books in the field. Denning, Little, and Glickman translate the controversial concepts of harm reduction into practical guidelines for people who want to improve their lives--whether or not they achieve abstinence."--Lonny Shavelson, MD, author of Hooked: Five Addicts Challenge Our Misguided Drug Rehab System"This book will bring optimism and hope to readers with a range of addictive problems. Dr. Denning and her coauthors don't demand abstinence, nor attack the integrity of those who don't attain it. Instead, the harm reduction approach encourages people to make changes that improve their lives, no matter how long it takes or how many setbacks they encounter. A brave, caring, and radical book."--Stanton Peele, PhD, JD, author of The Truth about Addiction and Recovery"Denning, Little and Glickman take the concept of harm reduction and apply it broadly and eloquently. This guide is sure to provide users, their families, their therapists, and their communities with tools to address the complexities that characterize drug use, misuse, addiction, and treatment. I highly recommend it to everyone who is, knows, or cares about a user of intoxicating substances."--Marsha Rosenbaum, PhD, Director, Safety First Project, Drug Policy Alliance, San Francisco