Amanda Wilson: Moving from Abstinence to Harm Reduction in the Age of Physical Distancing
An abstinence-based approach to physical distancing says here is a list of things you shouldn’t do; if you are doing those things you are bad, the only way to be good is to not do those things. A harm-reduction approach to physical distancing asks what are the things that are important to us, and how can we conceive of doing those things in ways that minimizes the harm and risk.
The idea that we should abstain from a long list of activities needs to evolve to a set of guidelines, practices, and adaptations that enable us to live together while reducing the potential for risk and harm. This doesn’t mean we’ll be able to do all the things we used to, but it acknowledges that people have different needs and different circumstances and we need to find a way to work with those.
Only interacting with people in your household is easy (or perhaps easier) if you live with someone else (whom you like spending time, and who is healthy and safe for you to be interacting with), and if you live in a situation that has enough space for those interactions to be comfortable. If you live alone, if you live in a cramped or unsafe household, that becomes much more difficult, and potentially much unhealthier. Similarly, interacting online with friends and family is easy if you have access to the right technology, a strong internet connection, and if the people you are seeking to connect with also have those things. All of us need to do different things to maintain our mental and physical health – exercise, meditation, eating particular foods, accessing certain services and support. Our ability to do these things under the current protocols varies greatly, and we need to think of ways of living, collectively, that enable all of us to do those things.
