HAMS: Harm Reduction for Alcohol

HAMS: Harm Reduction for Alcohol is a peer-led support and educational program for people who want to change their drinking in a way that works best for them—whether that means safer drinking, reduced drinking, or complete abstinence. It differs from many traditional recovery programs because it doesn’t require participants to commit to lifelong sobriety or follow a single, fixed path. Instead, it emphasizes personal choice, harm reduction, and evidence-based strategies. 

https://www.hams.cc/

Alcohol 

Secular (Pro-Use)

HAMS was founded in 2007 by Kenneth Anderson, an addiction researcher and harm reduction advocate. Anderson created HAMS after working with people who didn’t feel comfortable in abstinence-only programs like AA. He noticed many wanted a flexible approach that allowed for incremental change, reduced risks, and self-directed goals.

The name HAMS comes from “Harm reduction, Abstinence, Moderation, and Safer drinking”, reflecting the three main goals people might choose. Anderson published the book How to Change Your Drinking: A Harm Reduction Guide to Alcohol in 2010, which laid out the 17 elements of HAMS and the program’s philosophy. Unlike traditional 12-step programs, HAMS deliberately positioned itself as secular, science-based, and non-dogmatic.

HAMS grew primarily through online platforms: email groups, Facebook, chat rooms, and website resources. It became part of the wider harm reduction movement, alongside organizations like Moderation Management, SMART Recovery, and LifeRing, but with a distinct emphasis on nonjudgmental support for any positive change. Over time, HAMS built an international following, with members from the U.S., Europe, and beyond.

Today, HAMS remains a volunteer-run nonprofit organization. It continues to offer free resources, peer support, and educational materials, especially appealing to people who feel underserved by traditional treatment or recovery programs. It is often cited in academic discussions of harm reduction in alcohol use, especially as a grassroots alternative to abstinence-only recovery culture.

How to Change Your Drinking: a Harm Reduction Guide to Alcohol by Kenneth Anderson  

Instead of insisting on abstinence, HAMS recognizes that people have different goals and starting points. Some may want to quit drinking, others may want to cut down, and others may just want to drink more safely.

Members are encouraged to make their own choices about how to change their drinking.

HAMS avoids labeling people as “alcoholics” or “addicts.” It focuses on behaviors, not identities.

These are tools and strategies people can use to reduce harm from drinking. They include practical steps such as setting drinking limits, pacing drinks, alternating with water, avoiding drinking and driving, and planning alcohol-free days.

In-person and online:  https://hams.cc/live/