In the U.S. a slew of recent bills have been introduced or laws have been passed that improve access to naloxone. Naloxone is a safe, highly effective chemical compound that reverses the effects of opiates such as heroin. The US FDA first approved it in 1971. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that blocks the brain cell receptors activated by heroin and other opioids, temporarily restoring normal breathing within two to three minutes of administration.

Naloxone works by taking up opioid receptor sites in the brain; it has a higher affinity for the opioid receptor sites and stays bound longer than the opioid activators that bind and release rapidly. It “tricks” the brain into thinking there are no opiates in the body. If someone is overdosing on an opiate, administering naloxone can speed up their breathing and temporarily bring them out of an overdose. Currently 8 states have naloxone access laws including Washington, California, Connecticut, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Illinois, and Rhode Island and bills are pending in Colorado, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont and West Virginia.

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Good Samaritan overdose prevention laws map

TS Hub Kiev provides technical support to AIDS Care China (a new country partner of CAHR project in China) on development of Peer Driven Intervention (PDI). This specially designed outreach model helps to target the hardest to reach groups of people who use drugs and employs peer education concept to raise clients’ awareness about the risks and harms of drug use.

As a first step in developing the intervention, Lu Liu and Qiu Feng (AIDS Care China) together with Pavlo Smyrnov and Oksana Matiyash (TS Hub Kiev) delivered a workshop for 14 representatives from partner organisations of AIDS Care China.

Peer Driven Intervention will be implemented in four sites: Ruili, Xindu, Jiuni and Jiegao. PDI projects are expected to establish a link between underserved active people who inject drugs and harm reduction services available in local sites.

Developing peer driven intervention to prevent HIV among people who inject drugs in China

With a large and attentive audience, the launch of Intercambios’ new publication took place, “Working practices on drugs. From action to reflection … and back”,by Paula Goltzman and Eva Amorín. The appointment was at the Classroom Meyer Dubrovsky, Cultural Center of Cooperation “Floreal Gorini” in the City of Buenos Aires, and had the participations of Ignacio O ‘Donnell, Undersecretary of Prevention and Assistance SEDRONAR, Graciela Zaldúa, Consultant Professor of the University of Buenos Aires, and Aldana Herrera Director of Children and Youth Policies of the Municipality of Morón. They discussed the publication to the audience, to then give way to the words of the authors Paula Goltzman and Eva Amorín.

Edited by Intercambios with the support of the Levi Strauss Foundation, this publication retrieves working strategies used by different teams that address problematic drug use; in order to lead from the action to its reflection, and from there, as social praxis, go back to an action transformed by reflection.

Launch of the book "Working practices on drugs"

The technical report entrusted last year by the presidents to the agency is ready and would be presented in Colombia on May 20. In addition, the Drugs issue will be the main topic in the General Assembly to be held in June in Guatemala, one of the countries that has promoted a new approach on the subject

The debate on a new strategy to address the drugs issue which has for years been promoting activists, specialists, health workers, users and civil society organizations, has finally reached the governmental level. For this reason, during the last Summit of the Americas, regional presidents instructed the Organization of American States (OAS) to develop a hemispheric study on Drugs.

Work started immediately and, in late February, was held in Panama the second consultation on new alternative scenarios to address the drug problem. Once completed, both the analytic report and the scenarios report, were delivered to Secretary General of the OAS and would be submitted in Bogotá, Colombia, on 20 May.



According to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos,

 "This report will be another valuable contribution to understand more precisely what we are facing and how we can adjust our approach to achieve better results in this fight." 

"it is time to rethink our strategies" and "examine how we can continue our work in a more rational and efficient way."

"it is not only a study for American countries. At the CELAC and the European Union Summit, held in Chile last January, I called on European countries to join us in considering the results of this study and to agree on taking actions that guarantee the success of the Special Session that the United Nations is planning for 2016."

From 6 to 8 June Guatemala will host the OAS General Assembly, which will include all the foreign ministers of the continent. According to the Foreign Minister of the host country, Luis Fernando Carrera, is expected to achieve a 

that turns around the approaches to address the drug problem

 "alternative strategies to fight drugs."

 Carrera said the intention is to pass five subtopics: 

"Strengthening the public health systems in prevention of drug consumption and addiction; reducing homicides and drug-related crimes; promoting local economic development and the legalization of crops; reducing arms trafficking and money laundering, and decriminalizing of consumption to reduce the prison population."

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Governments in Latinamerica analyze a change in drug policies

This week the Prison Governors Association became the latest organisation to sign up in support of an international initiative that calls upon the government to 

“quantify the unintended negative consequences of the current approach to drugs, and assess the potential costs and benefits of alternative approaches”.

50 Years of the War on Drugs – Time to Count the Costs, is a global project that has the support of nearly 70 NGOs around the world and two former presidents.

Eoin McLennan-Murray of the PGA said: “The blanket prohibition on class A drugs allows criminals to control both the supply and quality of these drugs to addicts who turn to crime to fund their addiction. The Prison Governors' Association believe that a substantial segment of the prison population have been convicted of low level acquisitive crimes simply to fund that addiction.

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

UK Prison Governors Association calls on government to explore alternatives to the war on drugs

The campaign "15 ideas for a new law on drugs", whose aim is to promote discussion on key issues in the reform of the narcotics law 23.737, completed its second phase, which incorporated the voices of celebrities, journalists, officials, specialists and members of civil society.

Intercambios launched in May 2012 the campaign "15 ideas for a new drug law," which aims to promote a debate in society on a new regulation to replace or insert deep reforms in the current drug law. After a first phase of installing the issue on social networks and media, while efforts were made to take the proposal to congressmen and senators and civil society organizations not specialized in the subject of drug, a new phase took place in February and March of this year, in which different voices spoke in favor of the initiative.


These voices that joined the campaign belong to different sectors, and were divided into four segments: Civil Society, Families, Celebrity and media, and Specialists and State. Among those who participated we can mentioned the former head of the SEDRONAR Rafael Bielsa, who at the time of his testimony was still in that position, judges Martín Vázquez Acuña and Adrián Grünberg, Gabriela Torres, an official of the Ministry of National Education and former national deputy Leonardo Gorbacz, author of the national Mental Health Act.

Alexis Medina, of the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights (APDH) of La Matanza, Marcela Alsina, of the Network of People Living with HIV in Buenos Aires, Alberto Ascolani, of the Association for Cultural Studies of Rosario (AREC), and Veronica Russo, of the Argentina Network for the Rights and Welfare of Drug users (RADAUD), among others.

From civil society gave their opinion in favor of the 15 ideas, the Lutheran pastor Lisandro Orlov, Rabbi of the Bet El community Silvina Chemen, Luciana Pol, Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS), Alexis Medina of the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights (APDH) of La Matanza, Marcela Alsina, Buenos Aires Network of People Living with HIV, Alberto Ascolani, Rosarina Association for Cultural Studies (AREC), and Veronica Russo, Argentina Network for Rights and Assistance / as users / as Drug (RADAUD), among others.

Actress Valentina Bassi, singer Erica Garcia, well-known athletes like former tennis player Martin Vassallo Arguello and fitness coach Fernando Signorini, and journalists Luisa Valmaggia, Silvia Martinez and Emilio Ruchansky Cassina also expressed themselves. Ordinary people with concerns about the issue also joined, featured in the Families section.

These voices –over thirty- were collected through personal interviews and were reflected in a special section of Intercambios website. You can see them at http://www.intercambios.org.ar/category/15-ideas/15ideas/voces/, and were also spread through social networks Facebook and Twitter.


In May and June of last year, Intercambios had implemented the first phase of the campaign 

 At that time, the document with 15 proposals (which can be read in full http://www.intercambios.org.ar/15-ideas/texto-completo/) was presented at various meetings with legislators, under the ongoing debate in the National Congress about the drug law -23,737- reform. It was also complemented by an action on the social networks that had a major impact.

The campaign received the support of organizations and institutions such as the Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS), the New Earth Center, the Red Cross Argentina, the Public Defender's Office, Huésped Foundation, Mothers Against Paco and Pro Life of Lomas de Zamora, the Procurator's Office of the Nation and the Anthropological Society of Medicine Argentina, among others. Summing in total 36, of which 31 are from Argentina and the rest from abroad.

The second phase of the campaign 15 Ideas was launched

A new report considers how police forces can balance these challenges. From Boston to Brazil, the briefing paper, “Focused deterrence, selective targeting, drug trafficking and organised crime: Concepts and practicalities,” describes different law enforcement techniques that have successfully minimized harmful impacts while deterring the most dangerous kinds of criminal behavior.

The report, written by Open Society Fellow Vanda Felbab-Brown, was produced by International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), with support from the JP Getty Jnr Charitable Trust.

Don’t cop out: How to police the drug trade

Almost 40 years old, New Zealand’s drug laws were never designed to deal with the flood of synthetic drugs were are now seeing. Because of this, these substances are largely unregulated. Unlike food or medicine, or anything else you put into your body, these drugs can be sold without people knowing what is in them, or what the risks of taking them are. There are also no restrictions on where they can be sold, who can sell them or who can buy them.

The Psychoactive Substances Bill is an important piece of legislation which clarifies the legal status of ‘legal highs’ and synthetic drugs in New Zealand. It is aimed at regulating the currently unregulated market for these products and has a health and harm reduction focus. The bill is currently before the Health Select Committee and there is a shortened time for having your say on the bill, with all submissions due by 1 May. This page will inform you about the bill and help you complete a submission.

Psychoactive Substances Bill in New Zealand

The New Zealand Drug Foundation works on some of the most challenging issues facing our families and communities and has been at the forefront of major alcohol and drug policy debates for over 20 years, advocating policies and practices proven to reduce alcohol and drug harm in New Zealand communities. It recruits administrator.

maintaining office administration and finance systems

monitoring projects and reporting to our funders

fostering new and managing existing relationships with our nationwide membership

supporting the Board of Trustees and staff, and

This is a full time (37.5 hours per week) position based in Wellington. Part-time hours (minimum 24 hours per week) and other flexible arrangements can be negotiated. Submit your application by 

Read here more about the job details and online application.

New Zealand Drug Foundation recruits administrator

The mayor of Bogota has recently proposed a pilot scheme with crack cocaine addicts to explore the substitution of crack made of cocaine base paste (or bazuco as it is called in Colombia) by marijuana. The substitution treatment plan will include 15 problematic users from the marginalized Bronx area who are already receiving health assistance of the CAMADoperating in that sector of the city. The treatment will last approximately eight months, after which the results will be evaluated.

Treatment options for crack-dependent users are limited, and a substantial proportion of the dependent population is not reached by the treatment system. Some Colombian toxicologists argue that there is no scientific evidence showing the benefits of marijuana to reduce crack cocaine addiction. That is not true. On the contrary, a few serious studies do indicate that the use of marijuana may serve as a substitute for crack. For example, a study published in 1999 in Brazil: Therapeutic use of Cannabis by Crack Addicts in Brazil. Throughout a period of nine months, the researchers followed 25 male patients in São Paulo aged 16 to 28 who were strongly addicted to crack. Most of them (68%, or 17 individuals) ceased to use crack and reported that the use of cannabis had reduced their craving symptoms, and produced subjective and concrete changes in their behaviour, helping them to overcome crack addiction.

Cannabis to substitute crack in Bogotá

Law Enforcement and HIV Network (LEAHN) procurar o apoio de integrantes da ordem pública - policiais e agentes penitenciários – da ativa e reformados com o objetivo de apoiar uma declaração favorável à implementação de políticas de redução de danos e políticas de prevenção do HIV.

Este documento, Declaração de Agentes de Ordem Pública em Apoio à Política de Redução de Danos e Políticas Relacionadas à Prevenção do HIV, será lançada na Comissão das Nações Unidas de Prevenção de Crime e Justiça Criminal, em Viena, no dia 23 de abril de 2013.

O documento será assinado por agentes da ordem pública, da ativa e reformados, que apoiam as efetivas políticas e práticas de policiamento comunitário para o controle da epidemia de HIV entre as populações-chaves e a comunidade em geral, melhorando assim os impactos nocivos da aplicação inadequada das leis penais e administrativas, e a estigmatização e discriminação que ocorre com essas populações.

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Assinar o apoio: Declaração de agentes de ordem pública em apoio à política de redução de danos e políticas relacionadas à prevenção do HIV

Last week, international drug policy experts gathered in the Mexican Parliament (Cámara de Diputados) to reopen the debate during the international seminar: 

Regulation and Legislation: New focuses in Drug Policy.

Organized by the Fredrich Ebert Foundation (FES) and the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), invited guests included Eduardo Vergara from Asuntos del Sur in Chile, Ricardo Vargas from TNI in Colombia, and Jose Carlos Campero from Beta Gama Consulting in Bolivia.

During the day-long seminar, experts discussed potential reforms, regulatory models and drug policy alternatives. Jorge Hernandez Tinajero from CuPIHD presented on the current illegal drug market in Mexico City and possible reforms such as cannabis social clubs, while Laura Blanco from the Association of Cannabis Studies in Uruguay (AECU) discussed the current marijuana reform being proposed within the Uruguayan government. Federal MP Fernando Belaunzaran convened the seminar in anticipation of the introduction of his proposed law to regulate marijuana in Mexico. Further seminars will be held during summer 2013 to raise awareness within the Parliament and increase public support for the initiative.

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