Great article.
I know in some areas there are free clinics that distribute viles of ... That drug that reverses an opiate overdose... Forgot the name but same idea. Harm reduction. But does it encourage people to use because they feel safer? Its easy to think yes, but I doubt it. A addict doesn't think about safety as priority.
The "kind love" I agree with. "the kid" that my husband and I took in, per request of his mom after she had enough. We did it to keep him off the streets, couch surfing with druggy friends. People said no, he needed that tough love; but you know we didn't agree in his case, and more important we could handle the emotional aspects of it. We encouraged him, provided him a safe, calm environment, food, and listened mostly, and he found his way back out from all of it. The living situation with his mom wasn’t good because she was emotionally not well herself at the time. He is now in his last semester of undergrad, and has applied to graduate school. He is still working part time at a company where my husband helped get him a job. The people there took him under their wing and gave him the opportunity to learn all aspects of the business. I should add, his father died prior to the start of all his troubles (like the article suggests, trauma but as a young adult).
If he had been subjected to “tough love”, I don't think he would be where he is today. Think he would have sank a lot lower and who knows maybe ended up being arrested, or into harder drugs. Long term could have been much worse for him.