The second part of our series reveals how young people advocating drug policy reform cope with the new challenges and opportunities brought by the COVID-crisis.
Harm Reduction
Harm reduction is a pragmatic and compassionate approach to people who use licit and illicit drugs. As a principle it is applied in several other areas of life, for example when you fasten your seat-belts in a car to reduce the risk of injuries. Policies and services based on harm reduction respect the dignity and freedom of human beings and help them to stay healthy and alive even if they choose to continue using drugs. A very obvious example is to distribute clean needles among people who use drugs to prevent hepatitis C and HIV infections. Harm reduction programs should be part of an integrated social and healthcare system. But harm reduction is much more than just a set of services - it is a movement for freedom and social justice applied in the field of drug policy. Drugreporter is a chronicle of this movement.
Young People in Drug Policy Advocacy Part 1: Stop “Protecting” Young People From Drugs and Start Listening to Them
It’s common for governments to use ‘protecting the youth’ as a justification for punitive drug policies. The policies governments are propagating, however, are not evidence-based and show little knowledge of how young people use drugs. Read an intriguing report about youth activists who fight for drug policy reform written by our intern, Hannah Taylor!
The Oldest Harm Reduction Organisation in Bulgaria Shut Down
In June 2020, all harm reduction services with public funding stopped in Bulgaria for the second time in three (2017-2020) years. The oldest, biggest, and most experienced harm reduction organisation, Initiative for Health Foundation, shut down too. No needle and syringe programs remained open in the country. An article by Yuliya Georgieva.
The EU Should Not Fight Drugs But Reduce Harms
The new Security Union strategy would “fight” against drugs together with child abuse and arms trafficking. This is a bad approach.
Malta at the Crossroads of Drug Policy Reform – An Interview with Karen Mamo
For a long time, Malta had a repressive approach to drugs, but there is an increasing understanding and acceptance of harm reduction measures now. We interviewed Karen Mamo, a researcher and harm reduction professional.
Sergiu the Protector
Sergiu Grimalski is a person to whom thousands of people from all over the world owe their freedom, health, and life. For 16 years he has walked the streets of Berlin with a backpack on his shoulders, helping the people who are most marginalised – drug users and sex workers.
TAKING BACK WHAT’S OURS! – Episode 1. The Netherlands, Belgium and France
Drugreporter and INPUD presents the first episode of a 10 chapter long series documenting how people who use drugs around the world have organised and formed collectives and unions to protect and defend the health and human rights of their community. The first episode uncovers he history of the movement in the Netherlands, and how it inspired activists in Belgium and France.
Surviving the COVID-19 Era: Stories of People Who Use Drugs from Russia, Ukraine and Norway
The struggle of people who use drugs for survival, dignity and harm reduction in three counties in the COVID-19 era. Read the intriguing report of our intern, Hannah Taylor!
Epicurus and the Philosophy of Harm Reduction
We can find the basic tenets of what we call harm reduction today in an Ancient Greek philosopher’s on how to maximise pleasures and minimise risks.
The Effects of COVID-19 on the Hungarian Drug Market
The Hungarian drug market was affected by the COVID-19 crisis but it is far from being disrupted – read an English summary of an online survey conducted by Drugreporter among its Hungarian readers.
