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Urban Studies: Harm Reduction Policies and
Social Determinants
Urban anthropology refers to the study of cultural systems. Urban
anthropology also includes the study of identities in cities as well as the
various social-economic, cultural, and social forces that shape the urban forms
and processes This essay will focus on the principles of harm reduction polices,
the effectiveness of these polices and their advantages and disadvantages. The essay
will also major in social determinant of health and their examples, how to use the
social determinants framework to understand the current statistics and
responses to Covid-19, and how well the local community can respond to the pandemic
and the ways the entities can improve their response.
Question 1
Harm Reduction Polices
PART A
The code of belief of harm reduction policy includes opening the injection sites where individuals will use illicit drugs with trained staff present equipped to respond in case of overindulge. This believed as a way to save people in addiction so that they can reconnect with society and get health services. This way, the drug users will not be ashamed, fear, or use drugs in a dark backstreet. Within the safe space, clean injections, compassion, and care will be available. According to (Gordon, np.), the approach that falls under the policy of harm reduction, the public health philosophy emphasizes on lessening the harms of drug use. The policy goal is to save lives and curb opioid addiction.
The policies would be highly productive the addicted drug users. For the highly addicted individuals and those who are not ready to stop using drugs, the only help that can be offered is helping them to use drugs in the injection sites. To make it more effective, the drug users come with their medications and then given disinfected needles and a comfortable place to consume them (np.). The operators provide information about drug treatment, safer injection advice, and the necessary health services. The staff is always ready with overdose antidote, naloxone, and a breathing mask.
The advantage of the policy is that it is uplifting the society. Research indicates both “the grey and the robust” project to the benefits, explicitly preventing premature death among the society’s most vulnerable population (np.). This is evidenced since no death has been reported to the site. It has concluded that the harm reduction policies promote the safest injection conditions, reduces overdoses, and increase access to health services. Supervised injection sites have not recorded any negative impacts on crime and drug use. The major drawback of harm reduction policy is insufficient budgets for comprehensive services for conducting a high-level evaluation. The harm reduction model of drug addiction treatment has more benefit than drabacks.
Work Cited
Gordon, Elana. “What’s The Evidence That Supervised Drug Injection Sites Save Lives?.” NPR. Org (2018). Retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/09/07/645609248/whats- the-evidence-that-supervised-drug-injection-sites-save-lives.
Harm and Reduction Polices
PART B
The drug use in some
places is illegal, even to be seen carrying a needle. According to Mark Tyndall
tenet, harm reduction works, and there is no need to keep on emphasizing on
preventing people from using drugs. Making drugs illegal has no link to making
people stop using them. Harm reduction policies do not mean giving up on people
but offering drug users a safe place to use drugs before they can recover.
There is no need for the government to close all the drug stores since the
users will always find a way to reach them.
Harm reduction site is better for everybody.
The effect of denying the service of incite the population to that it serves to
increase the risk of death. The injection of drug users in glossily
disproportionate to any benefit that Canada might derive from presenting a
uniform stance on the possessions of narcotics. Mark advises that harm reduction
policies is not to show users that drugs are not harmful. Still, it’s just
trying a much better alternative than allowing the drug users to inject and
share needles secretly, which would be ineffective. Despite the pain drug users
go through, most of them are hopeful that they will stop using drugs.
The disadvantages of
the harm reduction policy are that most of the people do not understand its
importance, and therefore it is highly opposed. Due to the overdose crises, the
government of Colombia allowed the opening of overdose prevention sites, overnight,
thousands of people could use the drug under supervision, hundreds of overdoses
were overturned, and nobody died. Nobody has ever died in the overdose
prevention site. Harm reduction policies are scientifically proven to be
effective in reducing drug-related risks. Health care services, society, and
media, stigmatizes the drug users. Drug users usually avoid hospitals because
their supply chain will be cut, and they be exposed to a lot of shame and
painful memories. Strategy cannot work on something as complicated as
addiction. Drug-related mortality is the leading cause of death.
Work
Cited
Mark Tyndall, (May, 9,
2019). Uploaded by Ted, ‘The harm reduction model of drug addiction
treatment’; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfzkBGgxXGE
Question 2
Social Determinants
PART A
The social determining factor of health comprise the
systems that shape the daily life of societies. (Zhao et al. np.), states that
Social determinates of health refer to the state in the environment where a
person born, learn, worship work, play, and age that affect a wide range. The
example of types of social determinants of health includes gender, occupation,
racial segregation, and access to health services and political systems.
The social determinants
of health have a more significant contribution to the answers to Covid-19. The
social determinants frameworks help to explain the underlying processes that
underpin health inequities. The models include social-economic and political
context and intermediary determinants of health as stated by Zhao. By the use
of social determinants frameworks, it is understandable that current statistics
of Covid-19 show increased cases based on the social determinants of health.
Without vaccine and availability of health care services, the virus is expected
to circulate for years, and deaths related to coronavirus cases will increase.
Utah has responded to 5724 confirmed cases of covid-19 by making
efforts to flatten the curve. This includes launching a program “A Mask for
Every Utah.” The state-federal entities will provide masks with priority
given to vulnerable populations and essential workers. Zhao advises that each body can improve its
response to covid-19 by ensuring that the healthcare system is not overloaded,
and the state can do widespread testing and contact tracing.
Work
Cited
Zhao,
Wei, et al. “Relation between chest CT findings and clinical conditions of
coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
pneumonia: a multicenter study.” American Journal of Roentgenology 214.5 (2020): 1072-1077. Retrieved from:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/18/health/coronavirus-america- future.html
Social Determinants
PART B
The racial segregation is
one of the social determinants of health. The saying, “If a white American
sneeze, Black American catches the flu,” is now literal than ever.
Agreeing with (Gupta, np.), the most downgraded groups bear the brunt of a crisis. Covid-19
highlights the longstanding effects of systematic and structural racism in
America. The social determinants framework shows the uneven distribution of
covid-19 cases as the infection rate is higher in the black community than the whites.
Most of the Utah
residents live in an area with fewer grocery stores with healthy food options.
The residents have responded by ensuring that health care services are
available to every individual. According to Hannah-Jones, this will have a
massive impact. Researchers have contextualized coronavirus mortality rate gaps
into; chronic health problem in Black community, discriminatory housing
policies and environmental racism; labor force inequalities ad disparities in
access to health care
The entities can improve their response by changing the myths
about black people. The housing segregation and toxic waste sites should be
developed. Biases in hospitals should be eliminated. The entities should focus
on providing better and equal health care services to all people.
Work
Cited
Gupta, Sujata. “OUR COMMON GROUND.”
Retrieved from: http://www.mtv.com/news/3162940/nikole-hannah-jones-interview-coronavirus-black-americans/.
In conclusion, urban
studies include the study of identities in cities as well as the various
social-economic, cultural, and social forces that shape the urban forms and
processes. The harm reduction tenets view addiction as an unavoidable thing. It
is better to provide a safe environment for drug users than trying to prevent
them. The example of social determinants of health includes racial
segmentation, occupation, and access to health care services. Racial
segmentation is predominant in America; the black people are more affected by
the coronavirus pandemic. The only way the entities can improve their response
to the coronavirus pandemic is to provide better health care services that are
not biased.