Poland has recently gone from having a full ban on, and absence of, illicit substances during the Soviet era, to becoming a booming drug user society. Read the Polish drug market analysis from our Polish partner.
European Drug Policy
Hungary Is Facing An HIV Epidemic Among Drug Users
Despite the first HIV transmissions among drug users, the largest Hungarian needle and syringe program has been forced to shut down, because of political attacks
Infographic: Poland’s Failed War on Drugs in Numbers
Check out our new infographic on how the war on drugs is failing in Poland. It's both a waste of taxpayer’s money, and a missed opportunity to improve society. In addition, there is no program of targeted education on psychoactive substances and harm reduction throughout Poland – that also has to be changed!
Medical Marijuana (no) Precedent in Bulgaria
At the end of March, the court in the Bulgarian city of Lovech found Marin Kalchev not guilty. He is a 31-year-old multiple sclerosis patient, who uses marijuana extract to manage the negative symptoms of his chronic disease.
European Harm Reduction Conference in Basel
Drugreporter’s new movie, filmed at the the 2nd European Harm Reduction Conference in Basel, Switzerland, gives you an insight into the key issues surrounding harm reduction in Europe
Roma Girls, Drug Users in Serbia – locked into a repeating cycle of risks
Young Roma people in Serbia are particularly severely affected by the increase in use of traditional psychoactive substances, such as cannabis, inhalants (glue and solvents), heroin and alcohol. EDPI’s local partner, the NGO 'Re Generation', argues that these young people – a high proportion of whom live and work on the streets – are in need of special care.
Media Reports from the High-level UN Meeting on Drugs
HCLU's European Drug Policy Initiative this year took the form of grant-aiding a group of European journalists to cover on location the high-level meeting of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna.
Read the 2012 and 2013 HCLU Film Catalogues
In 2012, the HCLU produced 154 movies, of which 76 are foreign-language, and 78 are in Hungarian. In 2013, we produced 64 movies – 16 in Hungarian and 48 in other languages. During those two years, we won five prizes and held five training courses in video advocacy. Browse these two catalogues and open the videos by clicking on the links.
The Role of Heroin in Serbian History
Whether it was transporting silk, spices, tobacco, or opium, for centuries, the Silk Road from the Far East towards European countries passed through Serbia. Read how heroin permeated the country and made the region a transport hub for illicit substances.
Will this be a good year for Portuguese Harm Reduction?
Around seventy experts met under the flag of the Portuguese National Harm Reduction Network to discuss the state of Harm Reduction in Portugal.