A public clash between a senior police official and one of the Czech Republic’s leading addiction researchers has exposed a deeper struggle over the future of a drug policy model long regarded as one of Europe’s most successful.

After decades of seizures, arrests and increasingly sophisticated law enforcement operations, Europe’s drug market is larger, more diverse and more adaptable than ever. The European Drug Report 2026 reveals a paradox at the heart of contemporary drug policy: while the evidence increasingly supports public health and harm reduction, political attention continues to gravitate towards tougher enforcement and security measures.

How can international human rights standards influence real-world drug policy reforms? From the abolition of the death penalty for drug offences in Pakistan to policy changes in Latin America and beyond, Drugreporter’s new short film explores how experts, activists, and policymakers have used the International Guidelines on Human Rights and Drug Policy to advocate for more humane and evidence-based approaches around the world.

In April 2026, drug user organizations, human rights advocates, researchers, and policymakers from across the Nordic region gathered in Oslo for the conference Nordic Mobilization on Human Rights and Drug Policy. The event marked the launch of a new Nordic network committed to promoting drug policies based on human rights, democracy, public health, and social justice.

The meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs held in Vienna this spring showed how international drug policy is moving slowly. That is why every entry on harm reduction, human rights and public health is politically significant – a guest article by Aleksi Hupli, a Finnish researcher, first published in Finnish by A-Clinic Foundation.

As Hungary heads toward a pivotal election, the camera turns on two of its most prominent drug policy advocates. In this interview conducted by Arild Knutsen, Drugreporter founders Péter Sárosi and István Gábor Takács reflect on decades of activism—and explain why they are now taking their fight to the streets to challenge an increasingly repressive system.

Civil society and drug user activists push harm reduction reforms across the Nordic region – please watch the videos from a side event at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) and learn more about drug policy reform in Scandinavia!

On February 28, thousands of people gathered in Budapest and three other Hungarian cities for an unusual form of protest: a peaceful demonstration expressed through electronic music and collective dancing against the increasingly harsh war on drugs.

On December 6, something extraordinary happened on Kossuth Square in front of the Hungarian Parliament. What began as a response to escalating police harassment of musicians, clubs, and young partygoers transformed into a vibrant, peaceful celebration of community, culture, and freedom: Dance for Freedom (Tánc a Szabadságért). [Updated with video!]

Hungary’s war on drugs has entered a new and troubling phase. In recent months, the government has deployed police powers not only in nightclubs, but also against some opposition politicians and some of the country’s most popular musicians—accusing them of promoting a “drug lifestyle.”