Excellent analysis from Dejusticia of last week’s extraordinary meeting of Commission on Narcotic Drugs! With the USA objecting to language around ‘gender’ & ‘biodiversity’, the consensus is now broken, & there maybe opportunity to review the drug treaties! www.talkingdrugs.org/a-historic-v...

A Historic Vote at the CND: Colombia Challenges the Global Drug Control System - TalkingDrugs

At CND, Colombia made waves by pushing for a resolution to review the international drug control system, a first in its history.

talkingdrugs.org

Please follow and support @crips-against-cuts.bsky.social National day of action THIS SATURDAY 22 March

Crips Against Cuts♿️🌻@crips-against-cuts.bsky.social · last yr.

FIND YOUR LOCAL GROUP✊❤️

Starmer in Times today ‘The rising benefits bill is “devastating for public finances” & has “wreaked a terrible human cost’. Maybe address lack of progressive tax instead. Failing to tax the wealthy drives extreme inequality which ACTUALLY creates a terrible human cost & wrecks public finances

Really angry about this! PIP literally helps people with disabilities live their lives including being able to work. The way this is being framed is disingenuous there is nothing ‘moral’ about this plan! www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Keir Starmer to unveil drastic disability benefit cuts despite opposition

Changes could deny benefits to people who need help to wash or to remember to go to the toilet

theguardian.com

Tax the rich! www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Starmer decries ‘worst of all worlds’ benefits system ahead of deep cuts

PM expected to announce billions in savings from personal independence payment, the main disability benefit

theguardian.com

Excellent piece on Spain’s drug decriminalisation model & the expansion of harm reduction from our colleagues at the fabulous Metzineres www.talkingdrugs.org/spains-decri...

Spain’s Decriminalisation: Decades of Quiet Innovation - TalkingDrugs

Spain's drug decriminalisation system has been slowly improving over the decades, supporting people who use drugs across the nation.

talkingdrugs.org

🚨 IMPORTANT — The US government's reckless cuts to foreign aid threaten #HarmReduction globally. @inpud.bsky.social collects data to present before the intn'l community at #CND68. Fill the survey to relay impact on your activities & share with relevant networks!

Documenting the early impact of the US foreign aid directives on harm reduction programming

Aid cuts disrupt harm reduction services and imperil lives — share your experience to bring the evidence to the upcoming UN CND.

idpc.net

Just gave evidence to UN Cttee on Economic, Social & Cultural Rights on the UK’s crisis of drug related deaths. Read our submission to the Cttee submitted jointly with our friends @harmreductionintl.bsky.social @idpc.bsky.social & the drug user led group RATS. www.release.org.uk/publications...

Read @releasedrugs.bsky.social joint submission with @inquest-org.bsky.social & @robralphs.bsky.social on drugs in prison. Really proud of this piece, calls for decriminalisation, decarceration, harm reduction & transformative justice. www.release.org.uk/publications...

The @ukhomeoffice.bsky.social letter to ACMD asking if Ketamine should be reclassified to Class A ‘use in…people, aged 16-24 years, has increased by 231% since March 2013”. Ket was made a Class B drug in 2014. I don’t understand how they don’t see it! 🤦‍♀️ www.gov.uk/government/p...

Updated harms assessment of ketamine: commissioning letter

gov.uk

UK to open its first safe drug consumption room amid soaring deaths Welcome news, tho political cowardice has caused yrs of delays, costing 100s of lives As @niamhrelease.bsky.social notes, it's "shameful these facilities are not being opened across the UK” www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

UK to open its first safe drug consumption room amid soaring deaths

The Thistle in Glasgow aims to save lives by providing a supervised environment in ‘Europe’s drug deaths capital’

theguardian.com

@shantidas.bsky.social Observer report on ASA’s ruling this week about the misleading practices of some private drug treatment brokers, including a short quote from myself www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

‘Free and impartial’ addiction helplines paid secret commission by rehabs

Advertising regulator reprimands services that claim to offer unbiased advice but then direct people to partner facilities

theguardian.com

Coverage of Glasgow’s drug consumption room due to open next month (hopefully!). Comment from me highlighting the need for these facilities across the UK to address the crisis of drug related deaths. (Would tag others but function doesn’t seem to work!). www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

UK to open its first safe drug consumption room amid soaring deaths

The Thistle in Glasgow aims to save lives by providing a supervised environment in ‘Europe’s drug deaths capital’

theguardian.com

Brilliant news BC Government repeals public drug use bill which would have recriminalised people who use drugs who don’t have private spaces to consume! Congrats to our friends & colleagues at Pivot Legal & CDPC & others 💪 drugpolicy.ca/for-immediat...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Province repeals public use law previously blocked by B.C. Supreme Court for irreparable harm   - Canadian Drug Policy Coalition

Joint Statement from the Harm Reduction Nurses Association, the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition and Pivot Legal Society  ​​xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, sḵwx̱wú7mesh & səlilwətaɬ lands Vancouver, BC |​ December 20, 20...

drugpolicy.ca

We are delighted to be hosting the London Joint Working Group on Substance Use & Hep C’s meeting to share the findings of the fabulous @pwud-pride.bsky.social research on safer inhalation pipes

Unsurprising nonsense from DM, demonstrating a total lack of understanding about fundamental human rights. People who use drugs, like all ppl, are entitled to basic rights. The Scottish Govt recognises realising ppls rights can improve health & social needs. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

Outcry as SNP unveils soft-touch 'Charter of Rights' for drug users

The SNP was yesterday accused of 'doubling down' on its 'soft-touch approach' to drugs after a new 'Charter of Rights' for users was announced.

dailymail.co.uk

Such a rich & thoughtful discussions today at the launch of the Charter of Rights for People affected Substance Use. Enjoyed discussing decriminalisation, social & economic rights & broader human rights as part of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights panel

Really honoured to be part of the organising committee for this year’s Int Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP) in Manchester. Hosted by Manchester Met (who madly made me a visiting professor ☺️). Call for abstracts opened www.issdp.org

ISSDP

The International Society for the Study of Drug Policy

issdp.org

At launch of Charter of Rights for People affected by substance use. First Minister discusses need for ppl who use drugs to be listened to, for their rights to be respected & to be treated with dignity. @releasedrugs.bsky.social @globalcdp.bsky.social @idpc.bsky.social @harmreductionintl.bsky.social

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan... New report from the Global Commission on Drug Policy reinforcing pùblic health, decrim and regulation in place of the failed & futile War on Drugs response. @niamhrelease.bsky.social @idpc.bsky.social @kirstensdf.bsky.social

Excellent thread on the CSJ report

Alex Stevens@profalexstevens.bsky.social · 2y ago

The new Centre for Social Justice report on addiction and recovery is a mixed bag (a thread) 1/? www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/wp-content/u...

Excellent insights from Zaved Mahmood from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human rights highlighting how drug policies must be grounded in human rights, emphasises the role of the Guidelines on HR & DP @unaids.bsky.social @undp.bsky.social @who.int

A terrifyjng talk from Lauren Porter on the consequences of closing needle exchange in Budapest (funding gone, hcv/hiv testing down and cases up, public opinion change, drug pattern change, health declines, increase in criminal sanctions in severity/#, increased marginalization)- horrific #EHRC2024

Mainline has been supporting and fighting for the rights of people who use drugs in the Netherlands for decades. Their public funding is now at risk - meaning their org would disappear. We're helping them fight to keep their funding - here's how you can too 👇 mainline.nl/en/rescue-ma...

Rescue Mainline: Email with us again! - Mainline

Next Thursday, the House of Representatives will vote on the fate of Mainline. Save Mainline and call on MPs to vote for the amendment.

mainline.nl

As Hungary defunded NSP & declared a new war on drugs in 2013, the number of ppl accessing treatment fell. NSPs are great for connecting ppl with services. And if you target & criminalise ppl using drugs then you are actively deterring them from accessing treatment. Excellent from Lauren Porter

@pwud-pride.bsky.social presenting on the brilliant Safer Inhalation Pipe Project. This work is vital, there is so little to engage ppl into harm reduction & this is a serious step in the right direction! #ehrc2024

Also @matsouthwell.bsky.social on here - you should definitely follow him #harmreductionhero

Niamh Eastwood@niamhrelease.bsky.social · 2y ago

Great session on stimulant harm reduction at #EHRC2014 with @matsouthwell.bsky.social @unodc.bsky.social importance of intersectional approach & working with community partners is a fundamental take away!

Great session on stimulant harm reduction at #EHRC2014 with @matsouthwell.bsky.social @unodc.bsky.social importance of intersectional approach & working with community partners is a fundamental take away!

If you haven’t already follow the fabulously brilliant @pwud-pride.bsky.social 💪 her research is breaking down barriers for people who use drugs. From safer harm reduction equipment to peoples rights in treatment, Magdalena’s work is some of the most important happening right now.

Magdalena Harris@pwud-pride.bsky.social · 2y ago

Crack curious or full blown #harmreduction stimulant aficionado? Come to my talk today at #EHRC2024 on safe inhalation pipe provision!! Not in Warsaw? Contribute to debate & share here what you think about their prohibition under UK law. Fyi harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

Crack curious or full blown #harmreduction stimulant aficionado? Come to my talk today at #EHRC2024 on safe inhalation pipe provision!! Not in Warsaw? Contribute to debate & share here what you think about their prohibition under UK law. Fyi harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

Safe inhalation pipe provision (SIPP): protocol for a mixed-method evaluation of an intervention to improve health outcomes and service engagement among people who use crack cocaine in England - Harm ...

Background Over 180,000 people use crack cocaine in England, yet provision of smoking equipment to support safer crack use is prohibited under UK law. Pipes used for crack cocaine smoking are often ho...

harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com