Albert Einstein was wrong when he said to repeat the same mistake over and over again is insanity. It is quite normal human behaviour. But we are able to overcome it.
Drug Policy and Law
Drug laws in most countries of the world follow the principle defined by the three international drug conventions (1961, 1971, 1988), that is, they prohibit the non-medical and non-scientific use of some mind altering drugs. This principle is not only outdated but it has become anachronistic: the reality is that millions of people use mind altering substances for recreational purposes and most of them do not experience significant harms from drug use. What is more, many harms people do experience are directly connected to the war on drugs, which created a lucrative black market that only benefits criminal organisations. A drug-free world is an illusion, drug policies should be aimed at reducing the harms of drug use and drug policies instead. We believe that drug use should not be punished and drugs should be regulated as legal products, adjusted to the specific characteristics and risks of those drugs.
“Duterte Ordered to Have Me Killed” – Interview with Senator Trillanes
More than 12.000 of people, mostly urban poor, have been murdered in the Philippines since President Duterte took office in 2016. But why is the drug war so important to Duterte? Do the people support his policies? What is the role of the church? Is international pressure effective in preventing the death of more people? […]
Drugreporter Live From the Commission on Narcotic Drugs
The Drugreporter video team will live-stream sessions and talkshows from the annual UN meeting on drugs in Vienna on 12-14 March. Please follow us on Facebook and tune in!
Civil Society Urges Italian Government to Support Humane Drug Policies
Ahead of the annual meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotics Drugs next week, Italian NGOs have sent an open letter to the government, urging it not to repeat the mistakes of the past and to stand up for European and humane drug policies.
European Council Adopts Conclusions on Alternatives to Coercive Sanctions
The Council encourages member states to divert drug using offenders from the criminal justice system and refer them to educational and/or treatment programs.
Civil Society Recommends the EU to Strengthen Drug Coordination
The Civil Society Forum on Drugs, an expert group of the EU Commission, is urging the Commission to provide adequate funding and staff to drug coordination and support demand and harm reduction interventions.
Forced To Be Healthy
Cruel treatment and inhumane methods of rehabilitation centres in Tatarstan are revealed and discussed by doctor of medical sciences and former residents. Watch the video of Drug Users News, member of the Drugreporter video network.
Campaign for Decriminalisation in Lithuania: Interview with Laura Bliujiene
The Drugreporter video team helped Coalition I Can Live, a Lithuanian drug policy reform NGO to launch a media campaign for the decriminalisation of drug use. Watch the movie we produced about drug policies in Lithuania – and read this interview with Laura Bliujiene, a lawyer working for the NGO!
5 Common Myths Among Cannabis Smokers
We know that there are persistent myths about cannabis among opponents of reform, from the gateway drug theory to demotivational syndrome. But there are also myths among cannabis smokers.
Is Drug Policy Reform Possible Without Democracy?
An authoritarian government can scale up access to harm reduction and reform drug laws. But without a free and vibrant democratic society, drug policy reform cannot be truly meaningful and sustainable.
