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International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA)
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The International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA) is the leading international NGO promoting a harm reduction approach to reduce the negative social, health, economic and criminal impacts of drugs and alcohol. It grew from the International Conferences on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm, which help develop and exchange knowledge and experience on harm reduction. IHRA combines a public health and human rights based approach to prevention and treatment of problematic drug use and to users’ needs. It builds strategic alliances and partnerships with national and international organisations, supports the engagement of people affected by drugs and alcohol, promotes the human rights of affected populations and counters their marginalisation and stigmatisation. IHRA involves affected populations through helping establish drug user organisations and linking them with local, national and international policy makers and services. Members and beneficiaries are policy makers, practitioners, communities and drug users throughout the world. IHRA has over 1,000 members in around 60, and works closely with harm reduction organisations and networks around the world.
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Conference Consortium
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The Conference Consortium is a unique independent company formed by a group of drug, alcohol and criminal justice service providers, trade unions, professional and national organisations in the UK. The aim of the Consortium is to provide a forum to
• encourage discussion and debate on policy and practice in the fields of alcohol, drugs and criminal justice
• disseminate information on research and good practice
• foster thinking and new ideas
• promote honest dialogue, with respect for differing views
• encourage transparency in pursuit of its aim
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Generalitat de Catalunya
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The conference is being supported locally by the Programme on Substance Abuse in the Department of Health for the Autonomous Government of Catalonia (“Generalitat de Catalunya”). Catalonia is a politically autonomous region of Spain, where most of the health (and therefore drugs) policy decisions are made regionally by the Catalan Parliament and the Catalan Government.
In 1985 a law on drug abuse was passed by the Catalan Parliament, which classified drug addiction as a disease which should be treated by the public health system. This law did not differentiate between legal or illegal drugs and, therefore, the drug strategies and care facilities in Catalonia deal with all psychoactive substances.
The development and implementation of this Catalan policy is coordinated by the Programme of Substance Abuse, which accounts for prevention programmes, treatment, social rehabilitation, care facilities and harm reduction interventions. Harm reduction is a main component of the drugs policy in Catalonia, where there are currently 8,500 people on methadone (900 of whom are in prisons), and various different types of needle and syringe exchange programmes (including exchanges in prison settings). In the region, there are twelve drop-in centres (four of which have safe drug use facilities), seven mobile units (one with a soothing room), six outreach schemes and one crisis centre. There are also programmes in place to involve peers and promote organisations for people who use drugs.
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Grup Igia
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Grup Igia is a Spanish, non-profit organisation of professionals from several disciplines (including psychology, medicine, nursing, law and anthropology) that was founded in Barcelona in 1983. The group’s main objective is to promote multidisciplinary debates and discussions about drug addiction – including a focus on analysis, interpretation, and intervention from a social-cultural, community perspective. Grup Igia promote the development of inclusive prevention policies with a special focus on harm reduction, integrated strategies, best practice, and evidence base.
Grup Igia are a professional association, but relies heavily on cooperation and work with the general public, communities, drug user populations, local residents and the media. They work in partnerships with governmental and non-governmental organisations and networks in Spain and elsewhere (especially Europe and Latin America). To that end, Grup Igia is an active member of Alia – an extended Euro-Latin harm reduction network.
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