Harm reduction views people as responsible for their own choices. And it works. The Harm Reduction approach is based on compassionate pragmatism instead of moralistic idealism. It recognizes that a minority of people have always abused alcohol and always will. It doesn't condone this behavior, but seeks to reduce its incidence and the harm it causes.
Education is the key to the prevention and minimization of harm related to high-risk alcohol use.
The decision to consume or to remain abstinent can be informed by a discussion of the relative pros and cons of each choice. As an example, members of our staff at the University of Washington Behaviors Research Center were asked to visit a private high school in Seattle to discuss drinking problems with members of the senior class. School officials invited us to put on a program similar to the one we developed to work with University of Washington freshmen. Since most of the high school seniors were planning to attend college within a year, and since most of these students were already drinking, it was decided that a harm reduction approach was the best alternative to traditional abstinence programs. Well, while your doing that, I'm going to be daydreaming about the big party coming up Friday night.