Alcohol Harm reduction

traditionally, homeless shelters ban alcohol. in 1997, result of inquest deaths of 2 homeless alcoholics 2 years earlier, toronto s seaton house became first homeless shelter in canada operate wet shelter on managed alcohol principle in clients served glass of wine once hour unless staff determine inebriated continue. previously, homeless alcoholics opted stay on streets seeking alcohol unsafe sources such mouthwash, rubbing alcohol or industrial products which, in turn, resulted in frequent use of emergency medical facilities. programme has been duplicated in other canadian cities, , study of ottawa s wet shelter found emergency room visit , police encounters clients cut half. study, published in canadian medical association journal in 2006, found serving chronic street alcoholics controlled doses of alcohol reduced overall alcohol consumption. researchers found programme participants cut alcohol use average of 46 drinks day when entered programme average of 8 drinks , visits emergency rooms dropped 13.5 average of 8 per month, while encounters police fall 18.1 average of 8.8.

downtown emergency service center (desc), in seattle, washington, operates several housing first programmes utilize harm reduction model. university of washington researchers, partnering desc, found providing housing , support services homeless alcoholics costs taxpayers less leaving them on street, taxpayer money goes towards police , emergency health care. results of study funded substance abuse policy research program (saprp) of robert wood johnson foundation appeared in journal of american medical association in april 2009. first controlled assessment in u.s. of effectiveness of housing first, targeting chronically-homeless alcoholics, showed programme saved taxpayers more $4 million on first year of operation. during first 6 months, study reported average cost-savings of 53 percent (even after considering cost of administering housing s 95 residents) — $2,500 per month per person in health , social services, compared per month costs of wait-list control group of 39 homeless people. further, despite fact residents not required abstinent or in treatment alcohol use, stable housing results in reduced drinking among homeless alcoholics.