Hungarian Civil Liberties Union organized its annual legal training and conference for drug treatment providers and researchers between 13 and 14 November, 2004.
Hungarian Civil Liberties Union organized its annual legal training and conference for drug treatment providers and researchers between 13 and 14 November, 2004.
Legal training for workers of drug treatment facilities
On 13 November we organized a one day legal training for NGOs working on the treatment of drug addiction and harm reduction services. Almost 60 people gathered at the European Youth Centre to participate in the training, among them the representatives of leading drug ambulances, NGOs, street outreach workers, lawyers, medical doctors and psychiatrists. The training consisted of lectures, presentations and interactive discussions. The head of the Legal Aid Service of HCLU, Andrea Pelle summarized the deficiencies of present Hungarian drug related legislation and law enforcement practices, including the controversies of the identification of „drug addiction” and „drug addicts” (there are reduced sanctions against drug addicts according to the penal code). Eszter Csernus, head of the Patients Rights Program, pointed out in her presentation that there is a strong and urgent need for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B & C screening at drug treatment facilities, because only a very small proportion of clients are tested for blood born diseases at the moment. Erik Látrányi, the attorney of HCLU’s Drug Policy Project described the concept and regulation of „diversion into therapy” in Hungarian drug law (the modified penal code allows people who possess small amount of illicit drugs to choose a 6 months therapy or prevention program instead of incarceration). After each presentation the audience asked questions and consulted with our lawyers on special cases. All the participants concluded that the training was very successful and that there was a need for further trainings because of the present confusing and sophisticated drug laws.
„HIV, Hepatitis C and Drug Use: Reducing the Risks” (Conference, 14 November, 2004)
On 14 November HCLU organized a conference on the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C epidemics among intravenous drug users in Hungary. This was an occasion for presenting the new volume of our „Drug Policy Booklets” serial entitled „Intravenous Drug Use and Public Health,” which assessed HIV and drug policies in Hungary, evaluated HIV and Hepatitis C screening and monitoring system, access to treatment for IDUs and special risks groups of drug users, with special regard to those in prisons.
We invited our speakers from various countries with the intention of covering all the issues we consider burning questions of Hungarian drug policy. Morag MacDonald (Centre for Criminal Justice Policy and Research at University of Central England, Birmingham) spoke about problematic drug use and harm reduction in correctional settings, presenting the findings of her research carried out in several Central-Eastern European countries last year. She concluded that while prison administration is looking at the issue of problematic drug use in prisons seriously, harm reduction is still not receiving serious attention in Hungary. There is no substitution therapy, needle exchange or HIV prevention, the HIV and Hepatitis screening system is not satisfactory and most professional NGOs are not involved in provision of drug services in prisons.
Laetitita Hennebal (ENDSP / Cranstoun Drug Services, London) presented another study that focused on examining the policy in place for the provision of substitution treatment in prison, as well as practical experiences in different countries. The conclusion of the presentation was that substitution therapy is provided in a heterogeneous way in Europe, but it is generally an effective and feasible way of reducing harm and preventing HIV in correctional settings. Prison administrations have to overcome prejudices and develop substitution programs according to the local needs and special target groups.
Konstantin Lezhentsev (IHRD, Budapest) pointed out that there are several myths about treatment of HIV and Hepatitis C positive IDUs in the world, among them the most destructive is that IDUs fail to fulfill the basic conditions of life-saving HAART and Interferon treatment because of their lifestyles or attitudes. There are several researches from various regions proving the effectiveness of HAART and Interferon treatments for those IDUs living with HIV/AIDS and/or Hepatitis C. Methadone maintenance programs can play a crucial role in motivating and maintaining IDUs in treatment. There is a lack of political will to offer equal access to treatment for IDUs in most of CEE countries.
Hans T. Verbraeck (Addiction Research Centre, Utrecht) presented a study on Roma IDUs in CEE countries (the co-author of which were Jean-Paul Grund and … ). Roma IDUs have problems with access to health care and harm reduction services because of racist prejudices, poverty and social exclusion. There are several regions, towns and districts where IDU population mostly consists of Roma minority. One of these districts is 9th district of Budapest, where hundreds of Roma intravenous amphetamine users live under very bad hygienic and social conditions. General HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis prevention and harm reduction programs fail to reach these populations because of their special needs. Government has to develop special strategies and projects targeting Roma IDU population.
Eszter Ujhelyi (Szent László Hospital, Budapest) is one of the few researchers in Hungary who carried out sentinel surveillance among IDUs to assess the risks and extent of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C epidemic in Hungary. Although the surveillance covered a quite small sample, it shows that blood born infections are spreading among Hungarian IDU population: HIV/AIDS cases occurred and the seroprevalence of Hepatitis C doubled between 1997 and 2003 among IDUs (from 16% to 31%). Dr. Ujhelyi emphasized that there is a lack of government funding for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C screening programs in Hungarian treatment facilities. She suggested to consider the more intense involvement of NGOs in counseling and screening services.
Several people participated in the discussion after the presentations from both non-governmental and governmental side, including the representatives of Prison Administration, Ministry of Health, needle exchange and methadone treatment providers and HIV activists. The participants agreed that there is a need for urgent action from both governmental and non-governmental organizations to prevent and control blood born diseases among IDUs.
