From extrajudicial killings to the denial of access to controlled pain medication, repressive drug policies continue to be a major driver of violence, suffering, and human rights violations across the world. We work to ensure that national and international institutions recognise, prevent, and redress these abuses.

Criminalisation fuels stigma, syphons resources away from life-saving services, and creates severe and long-lasting obstacles to health and well-being. Instead, IDPC advocates for decriminalisation, an essential framework to develop balanced and health-oriented approaches to drugs.

Whether it is overdose, communicable diseases such as HIV and hepatitis, untreated pain, ineffective drug treatment, stigma and discrimination, or torture, punitive ‘war on drugs’ policies cause and exacerbate harms and violate the universal human right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Our work promotes the prioritisation of health outcomes over punishment, ensuring access to adequately-funded and evidence-based harm reduction, treatment and prevention services, as well as controlled medicines.