Abstract: Disease (particularly HIV) has increased our motivation to reconsider how the current help system deals with drug-related problems. A more concrete focus on disease prevention as an additional goal has, for many, lead to a reevaluation of the goals of drug help work. Such a critical examination shows how much there is to improve within the system even in the absence of blood borne disease. Integrating the heart of harm reduction–respecting work on any positive change as a person defines it for his/herself–into treatment fashions a health sensitive alternative to the predominant practice of abstinence-only assistance for the relief of drug problems.

Drug overdose is recognized as a significant problem in Illinois. The Public Act 096-0361 (20 ILCS 301/5-23 new) took effect on January 1, 2010, and making it legal in Illinois for non-medical persons to administer naloxone to another individual in order to prevent an opioid/heroin overdose from becoming fatal.