• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Drug Policy and Law
  • Harm Reduction
  • Activism

Drugreporter

News and Films from the Frontline of the War on Drugs

  • News
  • Café
  • Videos
  • About Us
  • EN
    • HU
    • RU

Changing the Public Discourse on Harm Reduction in Romania – Interview with Nicoleta Dascalu

June 14, 2018 | Author: Péter Sárosi

Tweet

Bucharest will host the 4th European Harm Reduction Conference in November 2018. We interviewed Nicoleta Dascalu, a project manager working for the Romanian Anti-AIDS Association (ARAS) about the harm reduction situation in her country. 

Drugreporter:  In 2013, Drugreporter, in co-operation with the Romanian harm reducers, produced a movie about the crisis of harm reduction in Romania. At that time the situation was dire: there had been a major outbreak of HIV among injecting drug users, and no money for harm reduction programs. Has the situation improved since then?

Nicoleta Dascalu: Yes and no. Yes, because since the crisis in 2013 and the public protests ARAS organised, Bucharest City Hall has been funding one HIV/AIDS and hepatitis prevention project targeting all vulnerable persons, implemented by ARAS, on a yearly basis. No, because this funding does not cover all the needs of the target groups, being limited financially. No, because the Ministry of Health still refuses to fund HIV/AIDS prevention activities implemented by NGOs.


The teaser of our movie from 2013

When we were filming in Bucharest we were appalled by how children and young people live on the street, using the canal system as a shelter in winter. Have their lives changed?

The canal at the North Railway Station, which was the most ”famous”, was closed, and children living there were taken into child protection institutions. But the problem of the homeless in winter is still not solved, as there are not enough places in public shelters. Carusel, another NGO working in harm reduction, organised during the last two winters a private shelter, situated in the city centre.

So HIV prevalence has dropped significantly since 2013. Is this the result of improved coverage and quality of harm reduction programs or something else?

2013 was the year with the highest number of HIV cases among injecting drug users detected, but this means they had become infected before that year, probably during 2010-2012, when the Global Fund grant ended and the new interventions could not cover all the needs (ARAS was the only NGO continuing its harm reduction activities, with structural funds money). The same years saw an explosion in the use of new psychoactive substances, meaning more injections per day, which equals more chances to get infected.  And yes, one can say it has dropped since 2013, if we look at the official figures of the National Commission to Fight against AIDS. But also, if you look at the same figures, you can see the percentage in men who have sex with men has increased a lot.

Romania has a national drug strategy that supports harm reduction – but is it implemented?

No, because it does not have a budget. ANA – the Romanian Anti-Drug Agency – had a budget for a Program of National Interest, where they were supposed to fund, by public call, NGOs working in harm reduction. They had launched the call in autumn 2016 and then they cancelled it, as their budget was cut by the new government.

The drug strategy even includes drug consumption rooms. Do you think there is any chance that such facilities can be introduced to your country any time soon?

There is a movement towards a change in the legislation that would favour this – possession should be decriminalised, too. So, I think it should become reality at a certain moment.

I’ve heard one needle and syringe program in the Ferentari district of Bucharest, operated by the NGO Carusel, was closed down. What happened?

The district city hall considered that the container where Carusel held their needle exchange was placed in an unhappy location – near a park. They said they had received complaints from the parents who came with their children to the park and saw syringes on the ground.

Access to this article is free - but to produce articles and videos is not. Drugreporter is a non-profit website that needs your support to provide you with high quality contents.

Become a supporter and make a donation of 5 $ today!

Romania will be the next president of the EU Council (January-June 2019). Have you discussed plans with the government regarding drug policies during its term? Is there any mechanism to involve civil society in drug policy-making in a meaningful way?

ARAS has supported the idea that Romania makes something like the Dublin Declaration, but on hepatitis eradication, during its EU Council Presidency. The Government has involved the civil society in a public consultation on the themes of interest during the EU presidency, and ARAS was a part of this. The final decisions have not been taken yet.

In many countries of our region civil society is attacked and scapegoated. Do you see this trend in Romania too?

Yes, there is this trend of saying that NGOs paid by Soros are ruining the country, that they are damaging the image of Romania, etc.

Do you think the fact that the next European Harm Reduction Conference will take place in Bucharest can contribute to changing the public discourse about harm reduction in Romania?

There is a strong chance for this and we plan to use this conference as an advocacy opportunity. Also, at the end of January 2019, Bucharest will host the HIV/hepatitis C Conference, organised by HIV in Europe. This will be another good chance for changing the public discourse on harm reduction and on HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis prevention in general.

An interview by Peter Sarosi

Filed Under: Articles Topics: Criminalisation, Drug Consumption Rooms, Harm Reduction, Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS

Access to this article is free - but to produce articles and videos is not. Drugreporter is a non-profit website that needs your support to provide you with high quality contents.

Become a supporter and make a donation of 5 $ today!

Kapcsolódó cikkek:

The Italian Anti-Rave Law Violates Human Rights – Interview with Susanna Ronconi

February 1, 2023 - Péter Sárosi

40 Years in the Frontlines of Harm Reduction in Ireland – Interview with Tony Duffin

December 20, 2022 - Péter Sárosi

Decriminalisation in Portugal: Through the Lens of People who Use Drugs

December 5, 2022 - István Gábor Takács

Kapcsolódó videók:

Decriminalisation in Portugal: Through the Lens of People who Use Drugs

December 5, 2022 - István Gábor Takács

Drugreporter News | 2022 November

November 24, 2022 - István Gábor Takács

Harm Reduction in Athens – With the Eye of an Outsider

November 23, 2022 - Péter Sárosi

You can browse our topics here:

Activism COVID-19 Criminalisation Dose of Science Drug Consumption Rooms Drug Policy and Law European Drug Policy Harm Reduction Hepatitis HIV/AIDS Marijuana Policies Medical Marijuana Needle and syringe programs New Psychoactive Substances Opiate Substitution Overdose Prevention Psychedelic Medicines Regulation and Control Russian Drug Policy Sex Work United Nations Drug Policy US Drug Policy

Primary Sidebar

BECOME A SUPPORTER OF DRUGREPORTER! INVEST THE PRICE OF A COFFEE MONTHLY AND MAKE SURE DRUGREPORTER KEEPS RUNNING!
Subscribe to the Newsletter!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

Drugreporter Video Database

Hundreds of videos on drug policy, harm reduction and human rights for streaming and download, also on a world map!

DRUGREPORTER NEWS

Monthly drug policy news from around the world

Drugreporter café

In our new online video show, we regularly discuss new developments in the world of drug policy with professionals, activists and decision makers. You can also listen to the Drugreporter Café in Podcast format on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!

COVID-19 Harm Reduction Update

On this info page Drugreporter provides regular updates about resources and news on how harm reduction service providers respond to the COVID-19 Epidemic.

Drugreporter Video Advocacy Network

Browse videos produced by members of our Drugreporter Video Advocacy Network, from all around the world!

DRUG USERS NEWS

Russian language videos on drug policy, harm reduction and human rights.

Our award winning animated documentary movie is based on the original audio recording of Kostya Proletarsky, a drug user and HIV activist who died as a result of mistreatment and torture at a Russian prison. Festival appearances, news and resources are available here!

Footer

Rights Reporter Foundation
Hungary, 1032 Budapest
San Marco Street 70.
Email: rightsreporter@rightsreporter.net

Search

Our other websites:

The Rights Reporter Foundation

The Autocracy Analyst

Room for Change Campaign

Room in the 8th District Campaign

A Day in the Life movie website

Drugreporter