Marcus Grant and Eric Single

In the following viewpoint, Marcus Grant and Eric Single assert that harm-reduction policies can help reduce the problems associated with alcohol consumption. According to Grant and Single, these policies recognize that drinking is not always harmful, while acknowledging that steps need to be taken to reduce adverse consequences such as drunk driving, consumption of potentially deadly nonbeverage alcohol, and violence. In addition, they argue that the harm-reduction approach does not restrict the freedom of the majority in order to protect the irresponsible or vulnerable behavior of a smaller population. Grant is the president of the International Center for Alcohol Politics, an organization that encourages dialogue in the beverage alcohol industry; Singer is a senior policy associate at the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, a national agency that...