Polish society has a harmful belief that therapy based on isolation is the only proper form of treatment. The poor financial situation of outpatient clinics, driven by this belief, prevents them from responding quickly and effectively.

Polish therapists – despite contradictory scientific data – only acknowledge the objective of abstinence, though abstinence is often an impossible goal. Furthermore, the exclusive pursuit of that goal leads to similar failures, while success is only rarely achieved.

This is especially worrying in the light of successful substitution programs, static treatment centres and ambulatory outpatient clinics - which are well-functioning, proven tools in harm reduction, peer education and at the end of the day, in reducing demand for psychoactive substances.

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.

The state of addiction treatment in Poland

On July 9, the US Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) published its estimates of potential cocaine production in the Andes, citing a significant region-wide decrease from 2011 to 2012. The largest reduction reported occurred in Bolivia: -18%, compared to -5% in Peru and -8% in Colombia. Yet the ONDCP attributed the regional reduction to the “strengthened U.S.-Colombia partnership forged over the past decade and the increased commitment to counternarcotics cooperation and citizen security from President Ollanta Humala and the Government of Peru” as well as other developments in those two countries. There was no mention of Bolivia.

Although they failed to provide any explanation, the same ONDCP press release reported Bolivia’s potential cocaine production for 2011 at 190 metric tons—instead of the whopping 265 metric tons for 2011 reported by the same office a year earlier. The estimates drew harsh criticism from the international community, as well as AIN and the Washington Office on Latin America, for inflating figures for Bolivia and downplaying Colombia’s cocaine production. This is especially hard to swallow considering Colombia’s coca crop is considerably larger, and both countries employ similar processing methods.

Using the original figure, the decline in cocaine production from 2011-2012 would be -41% —a dramatic change. In fact, the ONDCP webpage retroactively reduced the previous five years of potential cocaine production figures from those published on the same page in September 2012.

ONDCP dramatically downscales potential cocaine production estimates for Bolivia

Watch Regulación Responsable’s new animated video (with English subtitles), which it explains the marijuana regulation bill approved on July 31 in the House of Representatives. The bill is currently being discussed in the Uruguayan parliament and will be signed into law within the next two months.

Video: Project for the legal regulation of cannabis in Uruguay

The Obama administration has unveiled major changes to the criminal justice system, dropping mandatory minimum sentences in certain drug cases.

Such terms will not be imposed for non-violent drug offenders with no gang or cartel ties, Attorney General Eric Holder said in a speech.

The US has one of the world's biggest prison populations, despite a 40-year-low in the country's crime rates.

Critics say that heavy drug sentences have hit minorities hardest.

"We need to ensure that incarceration is used to punish, deter and rehabilitate - not merely to convict, warehouse and forget," Mr Holder said in a speech to the American Bar Association in San Francisco on Monday.

Click here to read AG Eric Holder’s full speech.

US to cut back minimum sentences for some drug offences

Across the world, youth activist and organizations are lobbying governments to remove laws and policies that prevent them from accessing services related to HIV and sexual and reproductive health as well as harm reduction. They are educating their peers about HIV prevention, supporting young people living with HIV to access and adhere to treatment, speaking out against stigma and discrimination based on HIV status or sexual orientation, and engaging with policy makers and programme developers.

These pockets of change, resistance and social action must be better connected to create a strong and collaborative grassroots youth movement on HIV.

In May this year, 25 youth-led and youth serving organizations came together to develop a platform to help us do just that: connect, organize and expand the HIV youth movement.

Together, we decided on five themes where we have committed to focusing our collective energy:

Integrate HIV into Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services and policies

Increase access to evidence-informed prevention and treatment

Remove laws that prevent young people from accessing services

Resources for young people and HIV are allocated based on need and evidence

Ensure HIV remains a priority in the post-2015 development agenda

We are calling this commitment the PACT for social transformations in the AIDS response . We have secured the commitment of UNAIDS to this framework.

We need to collaborate and support each other to achieve our objectives and change the HIV response. If you are a youth-led or youth-service community, national, regional or global organization and want to take part in building a stronger HIV youth movement over the coming years – click here to sign up.

If you want to find out more about the meeting in May, click here to download the full meeting report.

Help strengthen and connect the HIV youth movement!

Harm Reduction International is currently accepting tenders from capable, local partners to co-host the next International Harm Reduction Conference, to be held in May/June of 2015.

The International Harm Reduction Conference began in 1990, and was held in Liverpool, England. The city was one of the first to open needle and syringe programmes, and attracted hundreds of visitors each year who wanted to learn about the 'Mersey Harm Reduction Model'. The success of this first conference led to its establishment as an annual event held in major cities around the world. The conference helped spread the principles behind harm reduction, share knowledge and experience and build networks of harm reduction practitioners and activists to broaden the response to HIV related to unsafe injecting practices, HCV, bacterial infections and overdose. The conference also became the primary international meeting and networking point for drug user activists and organisations.

Over the past two decades, the conference has been staged in Europe, Eurasia, North and South America, Asia and Australasia, with the most recent conference being held in Vilnius, Lithuania. As the 2013 event was held in Europe, for 2015 we will be considering countries outside of Europe as a location.

Deadline for receipt of tenders is 30 September 2014.

Call for tenders to host 2015 International Harm Reduction Conference

An indigenous community in Northwest Colombia, subjected to aerial-spraying of illegal coca crops, is insisting that the government respect their rights, land and lives.

‘The local Embera community has reported that the spraying has contaminated their water and crops and is causing community members, including children, to fall sick’.

Indigenous Colombians resist toxic anti-drug spraying

The Global Drug Policy and Latin America Programs at Open Society Foundations invite applications to the Latin American Advocacy Fellowship Program on Drug Policy Reform. Fellows will be hosted in drug policy organizations in Amsterdam (Transnational Institute) or in New York (Harm Reduction Coalition).

This program supports those working in sectors related to drug policy in order to improve their advocacy skills and enhance their ability to deal with the media when addressing drug policy issues. It thus seeks to add to the core group of existing high-profile drug policy activists in the Latin American region, including persons not necessarily working full-time on drug issues.

The objectives of the fellowship are for the participants to:

Increase their knowledge of global drug policy reform issues with a focus on Latin America;

Increase their understanding of the international drug control system and system incoherence within the UN;

Have a greater awareness of the drug policy reform movement and in particular the key players within that movement;

Establish connections with those working in drug policy;

Build and develop their communications skills, including for media interviews, press releases, press databases, public speaking;

Have an understanding of the tools for debate, so that they can confidently challenge anti-reform positions.

Click here to read more information on the fellowship programme.

Latin American advocacy fellowship on drug policy

The Program Coordinating Board (PCB) at UNAIDS meets twice a year to discuss the progress achieved by the UN family and the states with regard to HIV/AIDS, main issues and challenges and to shape international agenda. On December 17-19 2013, there will be a special thematic segment on youth living with HIV and youth from key affected populations (that includes people who use drugs, sex workers, MSM and migrants).

Young people interested in the topic and organizations that focus on adolescents and youth who use drugs, sex workers or MSM can apply to participate to this meeting in Geneva to speak on behalf of his/her community. Some level of English is required, though the statement can be done in one of the six UN languages.

If you are interested in applying, please send a cover letter (up to 2 pages), brief bio or C.V. and one recommendation letter to Dasha Ocheret (dasha@harm-reduction.org) by August 31.

UNAIDS PCB thematic meeting on young people

US-Mexico Symposium on Legalization of Medical Marijuana Use

 was held at the Vicente Fox Center in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. Convened by former President, Vicente Fox, this event signaled an additional dialogue route on drug policy reform.

During the event, specialists with a diverse set of expertise from the US and Mexico, provided information on the opportunities and challenges involved in different forms of regulation regarding access and use of cannabis.

Among the most knowledgeable presenters was Alison Holcomb, author of Initiative 502 in Washington State, which regulates the cannabis. Alison noted that there is a need to regulate production licenses that must be accompanied by established consumption regulations for personal use and that these quantities must be appropriate to the realities of the market. Steph Sherer, head of Americans for Safe Access, highlighted that in the United States there are a million patients using cannabis, a growing trend that comes from the increase of therapeutic use in California that occurred during the 80s, when the country faced the spread of the HIV virus and patients began to use it to reduce nausea food and improve their quality of life.

On the Mexican side, Lisa Sanchez of Mexico United Against Crime, highlighted the different forms of corporate regulation in the world and the many possibilities from which Mexico could choose to regulate. Julio Frenk, Former Health Minister with the Fox Administration elaborated on the possibilities of the medical use of marijuana and the need for research in the field. He also emphasized that a primary result of the current drug policy (and the homicide epidemic it has unleashed) has been a decrease of one year in life expectancy.

The Ambassador of the Netherlands, Hogewoning Dolf, also participated and in addition to detailing the Dutch model and the benefits of controlling hard drugs, he shared that the Netherlands has lower drug use than the European average. He described closing coffee shops in southern Netherlands, due to stricter regulations to decrease “drug tourism,” however he stressed that these municipalities autonomous decision should not be seen as a return to prohibition but as a reinforcement of the regulation. He also emphasized that increased with these increased restrictions, the municipalities have experienced crime increases, and a strengthening of the black market---leading to a suspension of the policy.

Participants from CuPIHD noted the need to include users in the discussions and to remember that there are specific rights within the Mexican law. CuPIHD also called on legislators to eliminate ambiguities in the decriminalization of drug possession, which exists in the Small Scale Drug Trafficking Law. CuPIHD shared their position regarding the commercial plant cultivation which was proposed by former President, Fox, and which we believe prioritizes business development over the need to guarantee user rights, access to information and efficient health services.

Marijuana Regulation and President Fox

UNDP South Africa, on behalf of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), is requesting proposals from international institutions to support its 

efforts aiming at HIV prevention, treatment, care and support in prison settings in Sub-Sahara Africa

The institution will help in developing regional guidelines as related to VCT, Condom Programming, PMTCT services, psychosocial and medical support, collaborative HIV-TB activities, ART services in prison settings, as well as training curricula and manuals for each thematic area. Deadline for proposals is 

UNDP requests proposals for HIV prevention, treatment and care in prison in Sub-Saharan Africa

On 1st August, the Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN) submitted 2 complaints to the UN Committee on the Status of Women made by EHRN in partnership with non-governmental organisations with regards to the state of women's rights in Moldova and Azerbaijan.

With this initiative EHRN aims to raise the issues regarding systematic violation of rights of women who use drugs in Eastern Europe and Central Asia region.

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