IDPC joins sister organisations in calling for the decriminalisation of activities related to drug use and sex work, as well as the legal regulation of substances, to tackle marginalisation.
Stigma, discrimination, criminalisation and racism have had devastating impacts on the right to health of people who use drugs, in particular on people facing multiple and intersecting layers of vulnerability.
UN Special Rapporteur Tlaleng Mofokeng called upon member states to end the war on drugs, as a war on people and a threat to the dignity, health and rights of communities.
The American Medical Association embraces decriminalisation for personal use, rebuking the 'war on drugs' approach in favour of public health and rights -based models.
South Africa recently became the first African country to legalise the use and cultivation of cannabis — but uncertainty remains regarding trade and the fate of its neighbours.
Women and mothers in Brazil are honouring the memories of their lost loved ones by advocating for justice and an end to the state-sanctioned violence of the 'war on drugs'.
A recent UN report stressed protecting Indigenous cultural and medicinal plant use, preventing corporate exploitation, and integrating traditional knowledge into public health policies.
Slovenian voters step towards reform, supporting the use of cannabis for medical purposes although a narrow yet win was secured for cannabis for limited personal use.
Demands for repeal are sparked from civil society as Nigeria introduces the death penalty for drug offences, the step backwards has provoked calls for rights-based policy reform.