A medical student at the University of Saskatchewan says the government's decision to discontinue several programs will bring repercussions.
When medical students commence their studies, we each take some form of the Hippocratic Oath. This is an oath of ethics dating back to ancient Greece that all physicians are expected to uphold in their practice, central to which is the statement “first do no harm.”
This is a statement that myself and many other medical students will accept at face value since it seems the obvious mission of our profession.
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However, while working on an addiction medicine service during my fourth year of study, I encountered a physician who had reframed this sacred oath from “first do no harm” to “first reduce suffering.”
This seemed like mere semantics to me at first, but as I sat with this statement longer I came to recognize the profoundness of this subtle difference.
We exist in a world full of harms which present in various ways and, as medical practitioners attempting to “do no harm,” we can inadvertently cause greater harm through our inaction.
When the government released their recent update on harm reduction in the province, which saw discontinuation or modification of several key programs, this statement once again came to mind.
There are undoubtedly harms associated with substance use, but there are drastically greater harms when substances are used unsafely.
Harm reduction is an intervention that recognizes that the traditional “do no harm” approach of strict abstinence based services is not realistic nor feasible for everyone who uses substances. Instead, it seeks to meet people with compassion in their time of need and reduce suffering wherever possible.
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The changes the government has made will not meet their intended goal of reducing substance use in our province. We will inevitably see the same patterns persist, but instead with the added stakes of increased risk of infectious disease due to lack of access to sterile supplies or safe use education.
There is evidence from across the nation, including a wealth of data from Prairie Harm Reduction right here in Saskatoon, to support the fact that harm reduction organizations save lives and ultimately improve health outcomes of those accessing their services.
Anecdotally, when I was in Vancouver recently working on an addiction medicine hospital service, I was amazed by the breadth of services available for both harm reduction and abstinence-based approaches.
This is an example that we in Saskatchewan would do well to learn from. I would encourage our government to consider how they can “first reduce suffering” with the policies they implement instead of simply seeking to “first reduce substance use.”
Adrian Teare is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Saskatchewan and has engaged extensively with harm reduction through research, government advocacy and direct patient care in both hospitals and clinics. He is a co-founder of Students for Harm Reduction and Informed Policy.
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Opinion: Sask. shift away from harm reduction will increase risks
18
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26.01.2024
A medical student at the University of Saskatchewan says the government's decision to discontinue several programs will bring repercussions.
When medical students commence their studies, we each take some form of the Hippocratic Oath. This is an oath of ethics dating back to ancient Greece that all physicians are expected to uphold in their practice, central to which is the statement “first do no harm.”
This is a statement that myself and many other medical students will accept at face value since it seems the obvious mission of our profession.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Don't have an account? Create Account
However, while working on an addiction medicine service during my fourth year of study, I encountered a physician who had reframed this sacred oath from “first do no harm” to “first reduce suffering.”
This seemed like mere semantics to me at first, but as I sat with this statement longer I came to recognize the profoundness of this subtle difference.
We exist in a world full........
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