Global burden of disease attributable to illicit drug use and dependence: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010
Prof Louisa Degenhardt, et al. aim to assess the prevelance and burden of drug dependence on health and found it high. Worldwide opioid dependence was the largest contributor to dependence and injecting drug use as a risk factor for HIV, as a risk factor for hepatitis C and suicide. Countries with the highest rate of burden included the USA, UK, Russia, and Australia. Hence illicit drug use is an important contributor to the global burden of disease. Efficient strategies to reduce disease burden of opioid dependence and injecting drug use, such as delivery of opioid substitution treatment and needle and syringe programmes, are needed to reduce this burden at a population scale.
The Drug Policy Reform Agenda in the Americas (version 2)
IDPC analyses the regional debate and national-level reforms in the Americas and offers recommendations to maintain the drug policy reforms.
THE NUMBERS IN BLACK AND WHITE: ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN THE POLICING AND PROSECUTION OF DRUG OFFENCES IN ENGLAND AND WALES
Release demonstrates in this report that the "policing and prosecutions of drug possession offences in England and Wales is unduly focused on black and minority communities. This report looks at racial disparity rates at stop and search, arrest, prosecution and sentencing and clearly demonstrates that the drug laws in the UK are a major driver of the disproportionality that exists in our criminal justice system in relation to the black community."
Availability of HIV prevention and treatment services for people who inject drugs: findings from 21 countries
Zaino Petersen et al. analyses the need to monitor the state of the “HIV epidemic as it relates to IDU and the availability of HIV treatment and harm reduction services in 21 high epidemic countries." With about a third of the global HIV infections outside sub-Saharan Africa related to injecting drug use (IDU), this paper calls for the need to monitor the state of the HIV epidemic as it relates to PWID.
IDHDP July / August 2013 Newsletter
This issue highlights news, upcoming conferences, new publications, and more.
Best Practice Recommendations for Canadian Harm Reduction Programs that Provide Service to People Who Use Drugs and Are at Risk for HIV, HCV and Other Harms: Part 1
Recommendations from Canadian Harm Reduction Network suggesting "new and improved best practice recommendations about needle and syringe distribution, other injection equipment distribution, handling and disposal of used drug-use equipment, and safer drug-use education."
Global policy report on the prevention and control of viral hepatitis
WHO sets out the results of a survey which they conducted in mid-2012 with the World Hepatitis Alliance. "The survey aimed to gather country-specifi c baseline data on hepatitis policies in WHO Member States in all six regions. Survey data also offered insight into conditions in specific countries that may have hindered past efforts to achieve hepatitis policy objectives."
Coffee Shops and Compromise: Separated Illicit Drug Markets in the Netherlands
Open Society Foundation’s Global Drug Policy Program reports on the history of the Dutch approach to drug policy and describes the ongoing success of the country’s drug policy. "Including the impact of the Dutch “separation of markets,” which potentially limits people’s exposure and access to harder drugs."
Why We Need Drug Policy Reform
Article by Open Society Foundation stating "that the current drug policies are failing and causing enormous harm to individuals and communities. Around the world, poorly designed drug laws that seek to punish production, possession, use, and even dependence have fueled violence, instability, and health crises. It’s time for a new approach."
Breaking worse: An Interview with Jean-Paul Grund on the drug 'Krokodil' (film)
Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) interview with Grund, J. -P. C., et al. about their new study "Breaking worse: The emergence of krokodil and excessive injuries among people who inject drugs in Eurasia."
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