<sod>Responsible drug use advocates that users should not take drugs at the same time as activities such as driving, swimming, operating machinery, or other activities that are unsafe without a sober state. Responsible drug use is emphasized as a primary prevention technique in harm-reduction drug policies. Harm-reduction policies were popularized in the late 1980s, although they began in the 1970s counter-culture, when cartoons explaining responsible drug use and the consequences of irresponsible drug use were distributed to users.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Sociology of American Drug Use |pages=366 |author=Charles E. Faupel |author2=Alan M. Horowitz |author3=Greg S. Weaver  |publisher=McGraw Hill}}</ref> Another issue is that the illegality of drugs in itself may also cause social and economic consequences for those using them—the drugs may be "cut" with adulterants and the purity varies wildly, making overdoses more likely—and legalization of drug production and distribution would reduce these and other dangers of illegal drug use.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.economist.com/printedition/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=13237193 |title=Failed states and failed policies, How to stop the drug wars |accessdate=10 March 2009 |date=5 March 2009 |work=The Economist}}</ref> Harm reduction seeks to minimize the harm that can occur through the use of various drugs, whether legal (e.g., alcohol and nicotine), or illegal (e.g., heroin and cocaine). For example, people who inject illicit drugs can minimize harm to both themselves and members of the community through proper injecting technique, using new needles and syringes each time, and proper disposal of all injecting equipment.<eod>
<sod>Responsible drug use advocates that users should not take drugs at the same time as activities such as driving, swimming, operating machinery, or other activities that are unsafe without a sober state. Responsible drug use is emphasized as a primary prevention technique in harm-reduction drug policies. Harm-reduction policies were popularized in the late 1980s, although they began in the 1970s counter-culture, when cartoons explaining responsible drug use and the consequences of irresponsible drug use were distributed to users.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Sociology of American Drug Use |pages=366 |author=Charles E. Faupel |author2=Alan M. Horowitz |author3=Greg S. Weaver  |publisher=McGraw Hill}}</ref> Another issue is that the illegality of drugs in itself may also cause social and economic consequences for those using them—the drugs may be "cut" with adulterants and the purity varies wildly, making overdoses more likely—and legalization of drug production and distribution would reduce these and other dangers of illegal drug use.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.economist.com/printedition/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=13237193 |title=Failed states and failed policies, How to stop the drug wars |accessdate=10 March 2009 |date=5 March 2009 |work=The Economist}}</ref> Harm reduction seeks to minimize the harm that can occur through the use of various drugs, whether legal (e.g., alcohol and nicotine), or illegal (e.g., heroin and cocaine). For example, people who inject illicit drugs can minimize harm to both themselves and members of the community through proper injecting technique, using new needles and syringes each time, and proper disposal of all injecting equipment, or switching to a rectal [[route of administration]]<nowiki/>cto achieve a comparably fast onset while greatly reducing the complications of intravenous use such as infection, abscess, amputation, [[thrombosis]] or [[embolism]]. <eod>