Where is the harm reduction?

Captainsafety

Greenlighter
Joined
Sep 17, 2017
Messages
44
So i am new here and i thought this place is for reducing harm. However after reading and posting here i can see it is more of a place to give instructions on taking drugs and defending taking deadly substances. Threads telling people to take heroin stay opened but ones explaining how to measure things more safely get closed. This site is a joke. Its not making the world safer. Its a drug website run by junkies. Saying dangerous substances are safe is the opposite of reducing harm. You are all in denile about your addictions. The real harm reduction comes with acknowladging that what you do is wrong if it hurts you or others. I am happy to know that this is a waste of time and i will not spend anymore trying to help here. If people die from taking the advise here then it is on the shoulders of this community. And i refuse to take part in the farse that is bluelight.
 
So i am new here and i thought this place is for reducing harm. However after reading and posting here i can see it is more of a place to give instructions on taking drugs and defending taking deadly substances.

what makes you think that? harm reduction is giving advice on how to take drugs more safely than without any knowledge of drugs

Threads telling people to take heroin stay opened but ones explaining how to measure things more safely get closed.

point them out before you make wild accusations


This site is a joke. Its not making the world safer. Its a drug website run by junkies. Saying dangerous substances are safe is the opposite of reducing harm.

dangerous drugs are not safe. taking drugs safely is safe. dangerous drugs are dangerous drugs and safe practice is safe practice.


you are all in denile about your addictions.
you're lumping us all into one like if we're all the same. that carries no weight as an argument.

The real harm reduction comes with acknowladging that what you do is wrong if it hurts you or others.
yeah i mean, an addict in denial may not be able to admit that but an accepting addict can.

once again, everyone's not the same

I am happy to know that this is a waste of time and i will not spend anymore trying to help here.

If people die from taking the advise here then it is on the shoulders of this community. And i refuse to take part in the farse that is bluelight.
i'm sorry to hear that and BL cannot save everyone.

they practice gun safety so should all gun murders be on the shoulders of those organizations??
 
This is bluelight's mission statement. I think it covers most of the points you raise.
We don't advocate or encourage drug use - it's a place people can discuss drugs without judgement or stigma.
Open conversation educates a lot of people on ways to reduce harm.


BLUELIGHT.ORG: Reducing Harm by Educating the Individual

Bluelight is an international, online harm-reduction community, committed to reducing the harm associated with drug use.

Bluelight neither condones nor condemns the use of drugs. Rather, we accept that drug use will always exist irrespective of legal status or societal norms. While there is no truly safe way to use drugs, we understand that prohibition and abstinence are not realistic or desirable solutions for everyone, nor have they been adequate in addressing the serious public health concerns associated with drug use.

While there is no universal definition of drug-related harm reduction, Bluelight believes that through frank and open discussion we are able to deliver accurate information, eliminate misinformation and empower individuals to make wiser, more responsible choices.

Bluelight understands that drug use encompasses a broad range of behaviors, some safer than others, and that drug use can progress towards increased risk with some individuals. We encourage our community to be honest and cognizant of their drug use and understand the warning signs of abuse and addiction before they manifest.

Bluelight also hosts a robust recovery community for those seeking a way out of drug abuse and addiction. These forums invite visitors to discuss addiction and sobriety in a non-judgmental setting, share recovery resources and encourage members to seek help. We believe there are various roads to recovery, including 12-step programs such as Narcotics/Alcoholics Anonymous and alternatives such as SMART Recovery.

Bluelight's overarching philosophy is a simple: Meet people where they are and encourage open dialogue that empowers the individual to be the primary agent of her own physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.


Criticising bluelight for being a "website run by junkies" is the sort of value judgement that isn't welcome here, and besides - insults are not a very good way of getting your point across.

You don't have to like what bluelight is about - we're a harm reduction community and some of the stuff discussed here is difficult reading for some people, but it's a very important resource that thousands of people do appreciate and value.
 
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Hi Captainsafety, sorry to hear you feel that way. If you believe there are posts that encourage the use of drugs like heroin, for example, please use the report function at the top right of the post in question so that staff can take a look.

As pointed out in the posts above though, there are some substantial holes in your logic, and much of what you said is factually incorrect. Meanwhile simply commanding people to 'stop' using a drug or judging them for doing so has never proven effective, which is why sites like Bluelight came into existence in the first place.

Thus the purpose of harm reduction is to provide guidance, information and support on the use of drugs in an effort to make that usage less risky. Unfortunately we cannot insure against all harm or risk, since we cannot control other people's actions or behaviour, hence the term reduction. If you have some better ideas about how to get the HR message across, we would welcome your input, though that doesn't mean you can expect everyone to agree with you.

However we also have three very busy forums dedicated to helping people get off drugs altogether and becoming sober. So from that perspective, Bluelight's harm reduction mission does extend to the complete cessation of use. Given how difficult addictions are to beat, this part of our forum could always do with more support if you're willing to lend it.

Regards,
CFC
 
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So i am new here and i thought this place is for reducing harm. However after reading and posting here i can see it is more of a place to give instructions on taking drugs and defending taking deadly substances. Threads telling people to take heroin stay opened but ones explaining how to measure things more safely get closed. This site is a joke. Its not making the world safer. Its a drug website run by junkies. Saying dangerous substances are safe is the opposite of reducing harm. You are all in denile about your addictions. The real harm reduction comes with acknowladging that what you do is wrong if it hurts you or others. I am happy to know that this is a waste of time and i will not spend anymore trying to help here. If people die from taking the advise here then it is on the shoulders of this community. And i refuse to take part in the farse that is bluelight.

I agree with a lot of what you posted.

It's one reason why as someone who has issues with addiction/abuse of alcohol and other drugs I don't moderate sober living anymore, and I limit my time here. I just try to help people or keep them safe, and tell them that if they are worried or need help to go to the hospital or get medical help, and that if they are addicted and can't quit on their own to go to a rehab/detox, and that continuing to use drugs is not going to be beneficial or a good thing for them.

I don't really post that much here as I used to when I was actively using drugs. Other former sober living/recovery moderators also feel this way and some left the site because we no longer use drugs.
 
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i don't have much to add to the comments so far, captainsafety, but i would tell you two things:

  • if you see posts which are problematic, report them and the staff will review
  • the best way to address what you think is poor discussion is to get involved, correct people and provide better information.
we're a community and if you only want to criticise but have no desire to help then your leaving is probably best for you and for us.

regards

alasdair
 
You should not take heroin or any drug .




Is that the answer you were seeking?
 
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