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25th June 2009
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Groups Put Pressure on Governments to Reform Harmful Drug Policies
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As the United Nations launched its 2009 World Drug Report ahead of the ‘International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking’ (on June 26th), more than 40 international groups and experts worldwide issued a ‘Call to Action’ that presses governments to adopt a humane approach to drug policy.
The Call to Action – signed by IHRA, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the former President of Brazil Fernando Cardoso amongst others – urges governments to enact policies that are based on scientific and medical research rather than politics. Rather than receiving treatment, millions of people who use drugs are being imprisoned as a result of current drug policies. The drug trade continues to grow, while families are torn apart by the global ‘war on drugs’. Policies that drive drug users away from services and support are creating public health disasters around the world.
Instead of continuing with these ineffective and harmful policies, today’s Call to Action urges governments to focus on reducing the harms of drug trade and use. It is time for all governments to support measures such as needle exchange, substitution therapy, and the decriminalisation of drug possession for personal use. Drug control measures must respect human rights with penalties that are proportional and humane.
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 Click here to view the ‘Call to Action’ and a full list of signatories [PDf:99KB]
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23rd June 2009
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Women’s Harm Reduction International Network (WHRIN)
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The Women’s Harm Reduction International Network (WHRIN) is a new global platform to reduce the harms associated with drug use by women and to develop an enabling environment for the implementation and expansion of harm reduction resources for women. A significant percentage of people who inject drugs around the world are women – ranging from a quarter to nearly half, depending on the country and region. Female drug users tend to be even less visible than their male counterparts, and research, services, guidelines, training programmes and data collection in this field are generally mainstreamed into a male context. Many women – especially those who are pregnant or have children – report that they feel left out of existing harm reduction activities, especially in developing and transitional countries where violations of the rights of women who use drugs (and their children) are common occurrences.
For some years, members of the international harm reduction community have acknowledged these shortcomings. To try and tackle this issue, a meeting was held at ‘Harm Reduction 2009: IHRA’s 20th International Conference’, and group of women formed an interim international advisory committee to oversee the coordination and involvement of women across the globe in the development and implementation of the WHRIN. This new network will aim to:
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- Provide a forum to discuss the needs of – and challenges faced by – women who use drugs
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- Advocate for national, regional and international bodies to adopt and implement policies and programmes which promote and support harm reduction interventions for women and girls
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- Provide access to high quality resources (including educational materials) which assist women who use drugs – and/or the people who work with them – to improve access to gender sensitive harm reduction services
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To register for WHRIN via the new international ‘e-list’, please visit www.talkingdrugs.org/user/register. You will be asked to choose a ‘user name’, to provide your email address, and to tick a box at the bottom of the page to “Join Women's Harm Reduction International Network (WHRIN)”. You should then receive a confirmation email. Once registered, you can access the group and post your comments at www.talkingdrugs.org/womens-harm-reduction-group.
For more information about WHRIN, please contact Ruth Birgin or Diane Riley.
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22nd June 2009
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Joint Statement: End the Death Penalty for Drug-Related Offences
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A joint statement has been released by the Anti Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN) – of which Amnesty International is a member – Human Rights Watch and IHRA, which reads as follows:
“As the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking approaches on 26 June, the Anti Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN), of which Amnesty International is a member, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA) call upon governments in Asia to cease applying the death penalty for drug-related offences.
“There is a clear, longstanding and worldwide move toward restriction or abolition of the death penalty. Only a small minority of countries continue to implement the death penalty: in 2008, 25 countries carried out executions. ADPAN, Human Rights Watch and the International Harm Reduction Association oppose the death penalty in all cases as a violation of fundamental rights – the right to life and the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.
“Sixteen countries in Asia apply the death penalty for drug-related offences. As many countries in the region do not make information on the death penalty available, it is impossible to calculate exactly how many drug-related death sentences are imposed. However, in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, reports indicate that a high proportion of death sentences are imposed upon those convicted of drug offences. ADPAN, HRW, and IHRA express particular concern that China, Indonesia, and Vietnam continue to execute individuals for drug offences – and that some countries, such as China since the early 1990s, and Indonesia in 2008, have marked the occasion of June 26 with such executions.
“Despite the executions in Asia there is no clear evidence of a decline in drug-trafficking that could be attributed to the threat or use of the death penalty. There is no credible evidence that the death penalty deters serious crime in general more effectively than other punishments. The most recent survey of research findings on the relation between the death penalty and homicide rates, conducted for the United Nations (UN) in 1988 and updated in 1996 and 2002, concluded: "...research has failed to provide scientific proof that executions have a greater deterrent effect than life imprisonment. Such proof is unlikely to be forthcoming. The evidence as a whole gives no positive support to the deterrent hypothesis".
“UN human rights mechanisms – including the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, and the UN Human Rights Committee – have concluded that the death penalty for drug offences fails to meet the condition of “most serious crime”, under which the death penalty is allowed only as an “exceptional measure” where “there was an intention to kill which resulted in the loss of life” (UN Doc, A/HRC/4/20, 29 January 2007, para 53). The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime have likewise expressed grave concerns about the application of the death penalty for drug offences.
“Death sentences are often handed down after unfair legal processes, a problem made worse by laws, policies or practices regulating drug offences in some Asian countries. Mandatory death sentences are applied for certain drug offences in Brunei, India, Laos, Singapore and Malaysia, leaving a judge with no discretion over the sentence for defendants found guilty. Mandatory death sentences violate international standards on fair trials. Individualised sentencing is required to prevent cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment and the arbitrary deprivation of life. Singapore, which has one of the highest per capita execution rates in the world, as well as Malaysia, continue to hand down death sentences to individuals alleged to be drug traffickers after trials that presume guilt, and in which death sentences are mandatory.
“Confessions that have been coerced sometimes form the basis of guilty verdicts, death sentences and executions. Competent legal assistance is unavailable to many defendants, including defendants facing drugs-related charges, leaving many with little capacity to mount a defence at any stage of the proceedings.
“Draconian penalties for drug offences, including the death penalty, hinder public health programmes that reduce the harm drugs may cause to individual drug users, their loved ones, communities and states. China, Malaysia and Viet Nam have recently stepped up their harm reduction programmes to reduce HIV, hepatitis C and other drug-related health and social harms. However, excessive punishments and overly repressive drug law enforcement have been shown time and again to drive target groups away from such services. The death penalty therefore not only violates the right to life of those condemned, but is actually counterproductive to efforts to reduce the harm caused by drugs.
“On the occasion of UN Anti-Drugs Day 2009 ADPAN, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Harm Reduction Association appeal to Asian governments to:
- Introduce an immediate moratorium on executions with a view to the abolition of the death penalty in line with UN General Assembly resolution 62/149 and 63/168 on “moratorium on the use of the death penalty”;
- Commute all death sentences including for drug offences;
- Remove provisions within their domestic legislation that allow for the death penalty for drugs offences;
- Abolish the use of mandatory sentencing in capital cases;
- Publicise statistics on the death penalty and facts around the administration of justice in death penalty cases;
- Use the occasion of Anti-Drugs Day 2009 to highlight public health policies that have proven effective in reducing drug-related harms”.
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18th June 2009
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Temporary Research Vacancy at IHRA
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IHRA is currently undertaking a small project to assess the proportion of global resources that are devoted to harm reduction for people who inject drugs – for example, the levels of funding from international donors or national bodies for interventions such as opioid substitution therapy, needle and syringe programmes, counselling and outreach, and voluntary HIV and hepatitis testing and counselling.
In order to carry out this analysis, IHRA is seeking a Temporary Research Assistant to help us over the next three months. The length of the contract, the fee, and the number of days worked is negotiable. The main tasks for this position are:
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- To conduct desk research on resources allocated to harm reduction (mainly using information that is available on organisation websites)
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- To gather estimated costings for harm reduction interventions
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- To undertake enquiries by email and telephone with members of international organisations and civil society
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- To write short summaries of findings for incorporation in an IHRA report
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The information that is required for this project is very specific and full guidance will be given on where this data is available. The successful candidate will work with Professor Gerry Stimson (IHRA’s Executive Director) and will ideally be based at IHRA’s London office – although some of the work could be conducted off-site. The successful candidate may also have the opportunity to work on other IHRA projects.
This position would particularly suit a Masters or PhD student with some knowledge of HIV/AIDS, drugs, public health and/or health economics.
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18th June 2009
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‘UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’ Calls for Harm Reduction
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The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child – the United Nation’s body of experts established to monitor human rights for people under the 18 – has raised a number of concerns about the current drug policy in Sweden. The Committee applauded Sweden’s reported drug prevention efforts, but raised concerns about the “limited treatment possibilities” for young people in Sweden – and recommended that the Government "Ensure[s] the provision of necessary evidence-based support, recovery and reintegration services to all children affected by substance abuse, including drug users below 18 years of age and children suffering as a result of their parents’ drug abuse, aimed at effectively reducing the harmful consequences of such abuse".
Every five years, UN Member States that have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (which is every UN Member State except for Somalia and the USA) must report to this Committee on the measures they have taken to implement the treaty. This Convention is the most widely ratified of all of the UN human rights treaties, and is also the only one to mention drug use – in ‘Article 33’ which states that “appropriate measures” must be taken to “protect children from the illicit use of narcotic drugs” and from their involvement in trafficking.
In June 2009, it was Sweden’s turn to report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Although ‘harm reduction’ is not explicitly mentioned, the reference to services that “effectively reduc[e] the harmful consequences” of drugs is the most clear statement of support yet from this Committee for evidence-based harm reduction measures – both for young people who use drugs and for parents who use drugs. The Committee’s ‘Concluding Observation’ also raised the collection of data on drug use among young people as a concern, and called on the Swedish Government to provide “accurate and objective” information to children and parents on the “harmful consequences” of drug use.
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This news item was first published on the IHRA Blog.
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18th June 2009
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July 21st is International Remembrance Day
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International Remembrance Day is an official day to remember those who have died as a result of illicit drugs, tobacco and/or alcohol. It has been developed by the drug using community and is now held openly in many cities and countries around the world – including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Sweden and the UK.
Services, drug user organisations and individuals are urged to mark this important day. This could be in the form of a ‘remembrance book’, a public display, an event, a protest, a remembrance lunch or dinner, a planting, an unveiling of a plaque or sculpture, arranging some overdose prevention training, or organising some media awareness event – or even something as simple as lighting a candle on your own and taking the time to remember those close to you. In 2008, for example, an event was organised by Black Poppy Magazine in London, England which featured music, remembrance readings, and speeches from key drug user activists, drug workers and advocates (including IHRA’s Rick Lines). The event also included the release of 21 doves to symbolise human rights, dignity, hope and remembrance.
For more information, or to promote your event or activity on the 21st July, please contact the Black Poppy Team. Please also be aware that any event in a public space will require some form of official approval and possibly even insurance.
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18th June 2009
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Safe Nightlife Project Launches in Copenhagen
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 IHRA are delighted to announce the launch of ‘Tryg Den Af’ – a partnership to ensure a safer nightlife in Copenhagen, Denmark. The project is part of the ‘Safe City’ campaign in Copenhagen and is a collaboration between the City of Copenhagen, Diageo – a leading alcohol producer – and IHRA. For the vast majority of guests, Copenhagen offers a lively and enjoyable nightlife, and this project aims to maintain that by delivering a multi-discipline and multi-component programme and create an even safer and more secure nightlife in the city.
For IHRA, the project comes after more than three years of advocacy and work in Copenhagen as part of its ‘Alcohol and the City’ activities. IHRA’s first meeting in Copenhagen took place in May 2006, to discuss the potential of alcohol harm reduction interventions. The ‘Tryg Den Af’ project opened in May 2009 with a meeting at Copenhagen City Hall for the key partners across the city – including restaurant owners, bar owners, doormen, police, and other central authorities. It is hoped that the project can be the catalyst for the creation of a sustainable partnership between these groups, and a forum where they can share experiences and common challenges.
The ‘Tryg Den Af’ project will comprise several different elements – all based on local needs and potential impact, and on international experiences and best practice. It is anticipated that this will include a comprehensive server training programme and the partnership forum – amongst other interventions. The project will be thoroughly evaluated throughout by an independent team, in order to provide valuable learning from the process and impacts, and to help build on the global evidence base for alcohol harm reduction interventions.
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17th June 2009
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IHRA Launches ‘Global State of Harm Reduction’ E-Tool
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 IHRA is committed to creating a globally conducive environment for harm reduction, and the new Global State of Harm Reduction e-tool is the latest in a series of resources which aim to provide up-to-date information on harm reduction policies and programmes around the world. This online database draws upon the Global State of Harm Reduction 2008 report and the latest available research to present an at-a-glance guide to the current state of drug policies and responses worldwide.
The information is separated into a Global Overview and nine regional sections for Asia, the Caribbean, Eurasia (covering Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia), Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, North America, Oceania, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Western Europe. Each page has accessible tables, maps and links to other resources. All of the data is referenced and the maps and tables are in a printable format for easy re-use.
The e-tool is a directory of harm reduction – showing which countries are supportive and listing some of the main international and national civil society bodies which are advocating for harm reduction. It will be regularly updated and expanded when new data is found, new research is carried out, or new information is obtained through feedback from e-tool users around the world.
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12th June 2009
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2009 IHRA Awards Presented in Bangkok
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In April 2009, the annual IHRA Awards were presented during Harm Reduction 2009: IHRA’s 20th International Conference. For the first time, two ‘International Rolleston Awards’ were presented in 2009, as the Awards Committee were unable to choose between two exceptional candidates.
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Ralf Jürgens won the first International Rolleston Award – which is presented each year to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to reducing harms from psychoactive substances at an international level. Ralf is one of the leading international pioneers in the field of harm reduction, human rights and prison health. He was a founder and Executive Director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and has worked as a consultant around the world for organisations such as WHO, UNODC and UNAIDS.
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Dr. Samuel Friedman won the second International Rolleston Award. Sam is the Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Drug Use and HIV Research in New York, and has worked tirelessly for decades to promote evidence and action. He has authored over 350 publications on a huge range of topics, and is also a published poet who often presents readings at conferences on HIV/AIDS and/or on preventing drug-related harm.
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The Thai Drug Users’ Network (TDN) won the 2009 National Rolleston Award – presented each year to an individual or organisation for outstanding contributions to national harm reduction in the country that is hosting the harm reduction conference. TDN is a grassroots organisation which formed in 2002 to promote the dignity and human rights of people who use drugs in Thailand, and their courageous and peaceful work during the brutal government anti-drug campaign has earned them the respect and praise of harm reduction advocates around the world.
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Holly Bradford from Korsang won the 2009 Carol and Travis Jenkins Award – presented each year to a current or former drug user who has made an outstanding contribution to harm reduction. Holly founded Korsang – a peer-led organisation for people who use drugs in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She has helped to coordinate the organisation’s activities in an extremely difficult political environment, and Korsang is now renowned around the world as an example of best practice.
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Dmytro Sherembey won the 2009 Bonnie Devlin Memorial Scholarship. Dmytro is from the All Ukrainian Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS, and is a courageous advocate for the rights of people who use drugs to have access to the treatments they need.
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David Gough won the 2009 Film Festival Award for the IRIN film entitled ‘A Cleaner Fix’, which focussed on Indonesian outreach workers – former drug users whose work includes serving the various needs of people who use drugs to minimise risk behaviours and prevent the transmission of HIV.
Finally, Dr. Saman Zamani won the 2009 Paolo Pertica Fellowship – a one year, €10,000 grant to encourage innovative harm reduction work or research in prisons. Saman is a Research Fellow at the Japanese Foundation for AIDS Prevention and will be conducting research on methadone maintenance treatment and needle exchange inside Iranian prisons.
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10th June 2009
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Programme Released for Latin Conference on Harm Reduction
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CLAT 5 – the 5th Latin Conference on Harm Reduction – will take place in Porto, Portugal from July 1st to 4th 2009. The conference results from the work of a network of civil society organisations from the ‘Latin’ European countries – Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Switzerland. The event aims to rethink the future of harm reduction, and to question the current consensus on drug policies and interventions. Based on open, social dialogue between delegates and key individuals, the conference will discuss – among other things – harm reduction concepts and practices, the problems facing this approach, the inequalities between North and South and East and West, and human rights.
CLAT 5 intends to promote the creation and the consolidation of dialogue networks, and to foster the promotion of cooperation between participant countries. As such, it aims to contribute to the development of innovative harm reduction policies and practices all over the world. The 5th edition of this event is being organised by the Agência Piaget para o Desenvolvimento (APDES) in collaboration with Grup IGIA in Barcelona and the Psychology Faculty at Porto University.
The programme for this conference has now been released, and includes plenary sessions on ‘Human Rights and Harm Reduction’, ‘Harm Reduction – Re-Conceptualisation’, ‘Geo-Strategy: Harm Reduction, Power and Globalisation’, and ‘Health and Social Exclusion: Drugs and HIV/AIDS’. There are also six ‘circuits’ in the programme – covering ‘Drugs in the Street’, ‘Parties: Management of Pleasures and Harm Reduction’, ‘Alcohol and Harm Reduction’, ‘Sex: Pleasures, Risks and Sexual Work’, ‘Other Addictions’, and ‘Human rights and Penal Control’ – as well as workshops and ‘Innovation Tables’. The conference will be presented in English, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
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Click here to view the CLAT 5 Programme in English
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9th June 2009
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International Overdose Awareness Day 2009
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On August 31st 2009, the Salvation Army in Australia are inviting people from around the world to participate in ‘Overdose Awareness Day’. Since 2000, the purpose of the day has been to build awareness about this key issue, and to remember friends, peers, family members and colleagues who have died or are suffering from a permanent injury due to an overdose from legal or illegal substances (or a combination of both).
Silver badges can be purchased by organisations from the Salvation Army website and distributed to help spread the message that drug overdose is a real concern – and that there is still much work to be done by policy makers and individuals to ensure that people remain as safe as possible. For all who wish to acknowledge the day, information can be found on the website about holding an event or ceremony. It is intended that the day offers support and understanding to those grieving the loss of someone cherished. The day aims to lower the stigmas that surround incidents of overdose, and to educate the general public about overdoses and some of the reasons for their occurrence.
For more information, please visit www.salvationarmy.org.au/crisisservices and follow the link on the left-hand side of the page to ‘Overdose Awareness Day’.
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1st June 2009
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German Parliament Votes in Favour of Heroin Assisted Treatment
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In May 2009, the German Parliament voted in favour of diacetylmorphine (a synthetic, pharmaceutical form of heroin) to be used as a therapeutic option for severely dependent opiate users who had not benefited from any previous treatments.
The medication will be available to people over the age of 23 who have been using opiates for at least five years and have previously undergone two or more unsuccessful rehabilitation attempts. Some 2000 to 3000 patients are expected to recieve this treatment (and there are already around 70,000 patients on other medically assisted substitution programmes in Germany including methadone, buprenorphine or codeine). 349 of the 550 parliamentarians (a majority of 63%) used their votes to express support for this approach - and their decision means that, by law, health insurance schemes are obliged to cover the costs of this treatment.
The prescription of pharmaceutical heroin was previously been piloted across seven German cities. The pilot programmes found that the intervention helped people for whom other treatments – such as methadone – had not worked. Although this treatment is more expensive than other substitution options, it is reserved for more severely dependent individuals, and the economic benefits are about twice the cost of the treatment.
Two of Germany's neighbours - Switzerland and the Netherlands - already have similar programmes, while there are currently research trials and pilots underway in the UK, Spain, Belgium and Canada. Denmark is expected to start a national programme soon following a decision by their Parliament in 2008 that they required no further research in this area to make the treatment available. Germany has also recently started a multi-centre study on oral long-acting morphine treatment.
Randomised controlled trials from Switzerland, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain have all yielded positive results and indicated that diamorphine treatment is effective, safe and cost-effective, and can reduce drug-related crime and improve patient health. In the Netherlands, for example, 55% of patients receiving this treatment showed at least a 40% improvement in at least one of the outcome domains (physical, mental or social) compared to just 22% of patients who received only methadone treatment.
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1st June 2009
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‘Nice People Take Drugs’: UK Charity Campaign Shifts Drug Policy Debate
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 Release – a leading NGO in the UK specialising in harm reduction, drugs and the law – has started an advertising campaign on public transport in London with the slogan ‘Nice People Take Drugs’. The campaign aims to open up the drugs debate and engage the public in a more sophisticated and honest discussion on this crucial issue – one that looks deeper than the widely held stereotypes and misconceptions.
Launching the campaign, Sebastian Saville (the Executive Director of Release) said “The constant association by politicians and the media of drugs with words like evil and shame simply does not reflect most people’s experiences. The public is tired of the artificial representation of drugs in society. If we are to have a fair and effective drug policy, it must be premised on reality first and foremost”.
The slogan ‘Nice People Take Drugs’ was especially chosen to illustrate the extent to which drugs are present in many aspects of society and across every generation, culture and class and how, despite this, policy-makers maintain a narrow understanding of drug use and the people who use them – resulting in some of the biggest and most expensive policy failures of modern times.
Release is the national centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law and runs a helpline service for drug users, the public and professionals, as well as running national and international advocacy campaigns for drug law reform.
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27th May 2009
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Harm Reduction 2009 Takes Place in Bangkok
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 ‘Harm Reduction 2009: IHRA’s 20th International Conference’ took place in Bangkok, Thailand from the 20th to 23rd April, and – despite the city being in a ‘state of emergency’ due to recent political uncertainty – brought together an incredible 1,000 delegates from 80 countries, including many from Thailand and other Asian countries. The four days were filled with discussions and debates about the latest research findings, best practice guidelines, policy developments and advances in harm reduction programming worldwide.
The conference theme was ‘Harm Reduction and Human Rights’, and this was a recurring issue throughout the event – including a dedicated Plenary Session, sessions documenting some of the human rights violations committed in the name of drug control, and a dignified protest by Thai drug users and their allies at the Opening Session in which they called for “treatment not torture”. The Opening Session on Monday 20th April also included a formal welcome from the Governor of Bangkok, an opening address from IHRA’s Executive Director, and a keynote address from Professor Michel Kazatchkine, the Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Professor Kazatchkine emphasised the need for decriminalising drug use as part of a public health approach, and the huge discrepancy which exists between the global resources needed for harm reduction and the current levels of funding – both issues which gained much attention during the rest of the conference. These powerful statements from a senior international policy maker were received with a standing ovation from the delegates and attracted a great deal of media interest from around the world.
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The four-day conference programme included over 60 sessions and showcased over 200 presentations and 250 posters on topic as diverse as HIV, hepatitis C, tuberculosis, alcohol, tobacco, methamphetamine, policing, research, opiate substitution treatment, needle exchange programmes, compulsory drug treatment, poverty, prisons, young people, sex work, risk environments, drug user organisations, families, the war on drugs, and the recent UN High Level Segment on Drug Control in Vienna. There were also sessions focusing on harm reduction in the host country, a separate programme of skills-building workshops, a ‘Dialogue Space’ hosted by the Global Fund to allow delegates to meet international leaders, the 6th International Drugs and Harm Reduction Film Festival, and a conference party and awards ceremony featuring a performance from ‘Kormix’ (a hip hop group from Korsang, Cambodia’s only harm reduction programme).
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The conference closed on Thursday 23rd April with an impassioned keynote address from Craig McClure, the Executive Director of the International AIDS Society. After five years in his current position, Mr McClure reflected on the politics surrounding harm reduction, the global responses to HIV, and the evolving status of injecting drug use within these responses. He told delegates that, globally, “Blatant and wilful denial of the evidence can only be based on deep-seated fear. Fear drives the global war on drugs. Fear drives abuse by doctors and others in the medical system of people who use drugs and the continuing use of so-called ‘treatments’ that might more accurately be called ‘torture’”.
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Overall, the conference highlighted how far harm reduction has progressed and where there are still huge challenges to be overcome. It brought together health workers, law enforcement, human rights activists, people who use drugs, frontline workers, policy makers and researchers at an important time for harm reduction and for the host country (against a backdrop of discussions about a new Thai harm reduction policy and a major national grant from the Global Fund). Around half of the delegates were attending an international harm reduction conference for the first time – further justifying IHRA’s decision to hold the conference in Bangkok – and there was a great sense of energy and enthusiasm throughout the four days.
A full review – including presentations, images, video footage and abstracts – will be available soon as part of the previous conferences archive on www.ihraconferences.net
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25th May 2009
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UK Event on Drugs, Alcohol and Criminal Justice
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The Conference Consortium – in partnership with Drink and Drug News, the CNWL Health Trust, and the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Health Trust – are running an interactive and participative conference in London on June 25th 2009 which focuses on ‘Drugs, Alcohol and Criminal Justice: How do we make a difference?’. The event will examine what is working and what is not in terms of UK criminal justice service delivery.
The event aims to allow delegates to ‘unpick’ confusion and barriers where they exist, identify ways to address them and improve practice and service delivery. A programme of workshops will give delegates the opportunity to look at the system from different perspectives – including those of arrest referral workers, court teams, probation staff, prison staff, health workers, police officers and magistrates. The working groups will identify good and effective practice, highlighting particular examples of inter-disciplinary working. The programme is structured to ensure that this is a ‘working’ event – engaging delegates to consider and discuss a number of inter-related scenarios, based on actual cases.
The one day event will take place at the ‘Friends House’ on Euston Road in London, and will conclude with delegates taking their discussions and conclusions to a panel of UK Parliamentarians including David Burrowes MP, Paul Flynn MP, Lord Ramsbotham and Jonathon Aitken. The event costs £145 (£166.75 including VAT), and registration is now open at www.conferenceconsortium.com. For further information, please contact Michelle Vatin.
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Click here to download the ‘Drugs, Alcohol and Criminal Justice’ conference flyer [PDF:2.1MB]
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21st May 2009
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Harm Reduction Progressing in Malaysia
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Malaysia is one of many countries in Asia which have embraced harm reduction approaches and interventions such as needle and syringe programmes, methadone substitution treatment, drop-in centres and outreach work. In response to a HIV epidemic which is mainly driven by injecting drug use (71.2% of reported HIV cases between 1986 and 2008 were injecting drug users), the Malaysian Government began with pilot needle exchange schemes in three states, but this intervention will soon be available in every state across the country through health clinics and in partnership with NGOs and the Malaysian AIDS Council.
In an article in The Star – Malaysia's leading English-language newspaper – the Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai claimed that Malaysians are “wise and mature enough” to understand the principles and rationale behind needle and syringe exchange as a form of HIV prevention, and stated that these services “will serve as a driving force towards a wide range of harm reduction-related activities such as information, education and communication on risk reduction, HIV testing and counselling, health screening, anti-retroviral treatment and psycho-social care and support”.
In the same article, Professor Adeeba Kamarulzaman – the President of the Malaysian AIDS Council and a former Director of IHRA – noted that Malaysia has come a long way but more still needed to be done in terms of reaching a target of 60% of the country’s drug users through expanding provision and changing existing laws and policies.
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