With 2021 now receding in the rear view mirror, we look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly in the arena of drug policy around the world.

The International Criminal Court Eyes Philippines Drug War Killings

Afghanistan's Government Falls, Opium Remains

Mexican Drug War Violence Just Keeps Going

Mexico Didn't Get Marijuana Legalization Done (Again)

Bangladesh Drug War Killings Draw Pushback

Malta Becomes First European Union County to Legalize Marijuana -- Germany, Luxembourg Next?

Italy's Pending Referendum on Marijuana and Plant Psychedelics

Cocaine Production Has Doubled in the Course of a Decade

World Health Organization Declines Move Toward Labeling Kratom a Controlled Substance

StopTheDrugWar.org: Top ten international drug policy stories of 2021

Paola left her home when she was 13 to escape abuse and violence. She lived on the streets for five years until she became pregnant. Her boyfriend left her when he found out. Without work and food, Paola agreed to deal drugs for a neighbourhood kingpin.

She only had to deliver the drugs when her boss’s clients appeared on a street corner. With the money she made in the first few months, she was able to rent a room and live there with her newborn son. With a new partner and her family’s basic needs covered she felt she could abandon her dealer job.

A pattern is developing in Latin America: aggressive drug policies are filling the region’s prisons with women, many of whom are forced into the drug business because they have no other alternatives to support their families.

In Argentina 43% of female prisoners are serving time for drug possession, according to the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. It is, by far, the leading cause of imprisonment for women in Argentina. As a comparison, the second leading cause of incarceration – theft – represents only 9% of convictions.

Selling drugs is a survival strategy for women in Latin America. They are the most visible face – and the most exposed – of the region’s drug trade. They are also, in most cases, the product of their circumstances: violence, lack of education, poverty, asymmetric power relations, and inequity.

The women filling jails in Argentina for drug offences – A photo essay

As of October 31, government data shows that 6,215 people have been killed in police anti-illegal drug operations alone, while human rights groups estimate the number to reach 30,000 to include those killed by vigilantes.

In September, the pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) green-lit a formal investigation into Duterte’s drug war, saying that it was apparent that killings “took place pursuant to or in furtherance of a state policy.”

The Duterte government, despite insisting that the ICC had no jurisdiction over the Philippines, actually requested a deferral of the probe. As a matter of procedure, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan temporarily paused his investigation, but asked the Philippine government to prove it was genuinely investigating the war on drugs.

The war on drugs didn’t stop even as the Department of Justice’s interagency review panel found lapses in protocols during police operations. No cases have been filed by the review panel against erring policemen. Many criticize the panel for being just a tool of the Duterte government to shield itself from international bodies like the United Nations and the ICC.

Philippines: No let-up in Duterte’s drug war in 2021

In 1974, scientists at the University of Chicago immunized a rhesus monkey against morphine. After training the monkey to self-administer both heroin and cocaine by hitting buttons that delivered small, separate doses into a surgically-placed catheter, they administered the vaccine. The monkey’s heroin use plummeted, but it continued to use cocaine the same as before—a sign that the vaccine was working.

The effects started wearing off in a matter of hours, and it wasn’t long before the monkey required boosters. If offered a high enough dose of heroin, its interest in using it returned.

This wasn’t the most sophisticated methodology. But in the decades since, as our technology and grasp of vaccine science advanced, the idea of a vaccine against addiction lingered. Researchers have attempted immunizations for tobacco and cocaine, both of which were tested on humans but failed to receive Food and Drug Administration approval because they were found no more effective than placebo.

Human trials are currently underway for a vaccine against oxycodone, oxymorphone and hydrocodone—better known as OxyContin, Opana and Vicodin. The University of Minnesota Medical School team behind the research sees this as an additional treatment option for addiction to those pharmaceuticals.

The vaccine is intended for people with opioid use disorder. It would train immune cells to treat opioid molecules like an invading pathogen, and destroy them before they can make it to the brain. It would not reduce cravings, but would block people from feeling any effects of the opioid after they used it. If effective, they would experience no pain relief; no euphoria; no overdose.

An opioid vaccine is not the answer 

A section of civil society organisations (CSOs) have asked the government to stop the arraignment of drug addicts in court.

The Uganda Harm Reduction Network (UHRN), an organisation that provides treatment and care for people affected by drugs, says such repressive actions have proven to be counterproductive.

UHRN adds that such actions contravene international standards on human rights and public health.

“The suspects in drug cases are subject to violence or torture by the police. The hostile legal environment drives both brutal human rights violations and epidemics of HIV, TB and viral hepatitis among people who use drugs in Uganda,” Mr Twaibu Wamala, the UHRN executive director, said yesterday.

The Global Drug Policy Index that came out in November 2021 shows that Brazil keeps Uganda off the basement when it comes to poor drug policies and their implementation.

The index serves as a tool for accountability and evaluation in the field of drug policy.

Many African countries fared poorly on the index because their policies do not align with the UN principles of human rights, health, and development.

Do not take people living with drug dependency to court, Ugandan CSOs urge government

INPUD and Drugreporter are excited to announce the five winners of our #Morethan video contest!

The contest, which launched in September, is intended to be a continuation of the #MoreThan campaign launched on 2021 International Drug Users Remembrance Day, highlighting that people who use drugs are more than the sum of all labels attached to us by broader society. The contest was supported through the Robert Carr Fund for Civil Society Networks.

In total we received an incredible 22 submissions from 17 countries. It was not easy to select five winners among all of these fantastic videos, which highlighted some incredible human stories as told by members of the community. An independent board of five community activists were asked to rate the videos according to: eligibility, appropriateness, relevance, message and quality.

Below please find the five winners with links to view their videos on YouTube. Congratulations to all the winners!

1st Prize: Delirium a choice
Directed by Sania Zehra & Aisha Kasiri, Pakistan

This short film is based on the life events of a woman who by profession is a nurse, portraying her struggles during the pandemic and how isolated she became even among family and friends due to the negative connotation attached to drug use. The fact that she was juggling her responsibilities of home and work life were simply negated because of her inclination towards drug use as a way to cope with daily challenges of life and the havoc that COVID-19 pandemic brought on her mental health.

2nd Prize: 6 Women, 1 Seed
Directed by Larissa Lewandovski, Portugal

This documentary features violence against women who use drugs and sex workers. The documentary was made as part of the campaign against violence on women using drugs (WUD) launched by WHRIN and EuroNPUD – SisterWUD. Since then, a new group, GAMEM (Peer support group among women experiencing violence) has been created, representing WUD, including migrants, sex workers, homeless women and non-binary people. GAMEM has a weekly meeting at a safe space provided by a cultural association, Sirigaita, at a neighbourhood where drugs, sex work and tourism coexist in Lisbon.

3rd Prize: Living With Stigma
Directed by Dhojo Wahengbam, India

This is a short documentary film about a person who use drugs in Manipur, India, narrating his personal real life experience.

4th Prize: Confession
Directed by Tengku Raka, Indonesia

This short documentary video is about stigma and discrimination experienced by woman who use drugs. We meet a mother and daughter, who both suffered the consequences of Draconian drug laws and mass incarceration from different perspectives.

5th Prize: Should I say that I use other drugs?
Directed by Raúl Lescano Méndez and Dana Bonilla

This short film, based on Carl Hart’s essay ‘Get Out of the Closet: Stop Behaving Like Children’, calls on drug users to use self-examination and the power of their own voice as an urgent step to fight the stigmata related to drug use. Instead of waiting for the world to change, it might be time for ourselves to start changing.

Announcing the winners of the #MoreThan video contest

Malta will this week become the first European country to legalise the cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use, pipping Luxembourg to the post, as the continent undergoes a wave of change to its drug laws.

Possession of up to seven grams of the drug will be legal for those aged 18 and above, and it will permissible to grow up to four cannabis plants at home, with up to 50g of the dried product storable.

A vote in favour of the legislation in the Maltese parliament on Tuesday will be followed by the law being signed by the president in order for it to be enacted by the weekend, Owen Bonnici, the minister responsible, told the Guardian.

The move by Malta, the EU’s smallest member state, is likely to be followed by reform across Europe in 2022. Germany recently announced a move to establish a legally regulated market, following announcements from the governments of Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. A referendum in Italy is planned, while Canada, Mexico and 18 US states have already enacted similar legislation.

Malta to legalise cannabis for personal use in European first

In our last INHSU 2021 satellite session, we welcomed a global panel of experts to discuss the decriminalisation of drugs. The lively session gave real-life examples of decriminalisation models and shared valuable insights into how decriminalisation could positively impact the health and wellbeing of people who use drugs globally.

The session was chaired by Professor Alison Ritter from the Drug Policy Modelling Program at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. Alison was joined by Jean-Maxence Granier, Chair of Asud, Dr. Marie Jauffret-Roustide from Inserm, A/Prof Caitlin Hughes from Flinders University, Hon. Fortune Daniel Molokela-Tsiye, Member of Parliament of Zimbabwe and National Assembly Movement for Democratic Change Alliance, Caitlin Shane, Lawyer at Pivot Legal Society and Shaun Shelly, chair of the South African Network of People Who Use Drugs (SANPUD).

“There has been a long history of criminal penalties, discrimination and multiple forms of surveillance against people who use drugs,” Alison said, opening the session. “One solution that is gaining more traction is to remove the penalties for personal drug use.”

As the subject of decriminalisation becomes a hot topic globally, common questions, concerns and considerations have appeared. This session aimed to delve into each of them.

Key considerations for the decriminalisation of drug use

An estimated 58 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus that can lead to serious liver disease. This virus, which causes an estimated 300,000 deaths each year, affects people who inject drugs and incarcerated populations at much higher rates.

Unitaid is therefore seeking to fund innovative projects that will expand access to new tools or under-utilised interventions to prevent and treat hepatitis C, with a particular focus on these key groups in low- and middle-income countries.

Significant progress against hepatitis C has been made in recent years; new medicines that can cure the disease are more widely available, prices have become more affordable, and diagnostic tools have improved. But efforts to prevent transmission remain insufficient. COVID-19 has caused further setbacks; according to the World Health Organization, hepatitis services were among the most frequently disrupted as a result of the pandemic.

“Hepatitis C greatly affects people who are too often overlooked or ignored by traditional health interventions. Building on the previous work done by Unitaid, we want to invest in the prevention and treatment of hepatitis C, and seek to avert transmission using additional, effective and high-impact harm reduction tools and strategies,” said Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid.

Globally, despite their proven effectiveness, the availability and use of tools to prevent hepatitis C transmission are low. Without intervention, uptake an availability of effective interventions will remain low and will impede the achievement of hepatitis elimination targets. This will also continue to put populations that are already highly vulnerable and marginalized at risk of infection, liver disease and death.

Make innovative or under-used tools more widely available for key populations

Accelerate the integration of hepatitis C prevention, including testing and treatment, into harm reduction settings or prisons

Reduce hepatitis C transmission among some of the most vulnerable and high-risk groups

Facilitate the expansion of integrated hepatitis C prevention services to reach key populations in countries where the need is greatest

Engagement with civil society and affected communities is a critical determinant for success.

Join us on Thursday 13 January 2022 at 12:00 (noon) CET for a Unitaid-hosted webinar to discuss the scope of the call for proposals and answer questions related to submission. Register here

The deadline to submit a proposal is Thursday 31 March 2022 at 12:00 (noon) CET.

Unitaid launches call for proposals to prevent hepatitis C in the most marginalised and at-risk groups

At midnight on May 26, 2018, Ekramul Haque’s daughters were trying to reach their father, who had left home three hours earlier and had still not returned.

Haque was an elected council member in Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf municipality, a southeastern Bangladeshi town bordering Myanmar. To the outside world, Teknaf and surrounding subdistricts in Cox’s Bazar are best known for hosting nearly a million Rohingya refugees, but domestically, it is also a major entry point for narcotics (mostly yaba—a combination of methamphetamine and caffeine) sourced from Myanmar.

When Haque’s daughters reached him, he was audibly distressed, but he was also trying to comfort them. “Abbu [dad], you seem to be crying,” one of his confused daughters said. Unsettled, they alerted their mother, Ayesha Begum, who joined in subsequent calls.

Haque was at that time in the custody of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite Bangladeshi police unit estimated to have killed more than 1,100 people between 2004 and 2020. He would soon be executed, joining hundreds of others killed by authorities in a bloody election-year anti-drug campaign. After his death, the RAB produced a typical press release, claiming that Haque had been killed in a supposed gunfight during a drug raid.

The US has a police brutality problem. So does Bangladesh.

For years, drug policy reform organisations have been advocating for policies which promote alternatives to prohibition, such as a move away from the criminalization of people who use drugs, and a move towards evidence-based models such as harm reduction. Whilst harm reduction measures are mentioned – the first time since the 1990s – activists are still left with a bitter taste in their mouth as the new drugs strategy (and the media attention surrounding it) doubles down on the failed and unevidenced ‘War on Drugs’ discourse perpetuated by its 2011 and 2017 counterparts.

Despite the well-known success of the decriminalisation model in Portugal, the UK drugs strategy chooses not to take this path, incorrectly asserting it would “leave criminals in control while risking an increase in drug use”. Yet, the evidence clearly shows that where the harm reduction measures described above are implemented in conjunction with decriminalisation of drugs, such increases do not occur.

The UK still lags behind the global trend of reform that can be seen across Europe in countries such as Norway and Germany as well as in North America. Despite UN guidance to move away from repression and punishment of people who use drugs and to decriminalise drug use, the UK government has chosen to continue along a punitive path which has been shown time and again to exacerbate all the societal ills that criminal justice responses purport to address.

The UK government's 'War on Drugs' approach is failing

On 19 June 2009 Kostya Proletarsky, a drug user and HIV activist, died of tuberculosis meningitis at the Botkin Hospital in St. Petersburg, Russia. His death was the result of three years of mistreatment and torture at the prison facility No. 4 in Karelia, Russia. In Russia, where drug treatment is barely available, imprisonment becomes the main “solution” to the problem of drug addiction. But unfortunately, these institutions don’t cure. Instead, prisons kill.

The animated hand drawn documentary, featuring the original audio interview with Kostya and his mother, Irina, aims to commemorate Kostya Proletarsky and many others who have not survived prison systems around the world.

This animated movie is produced by the Rights Reporter Foundation, narrated by Anya Sarang, directed by István Gábor Takács, and is hand drawn frame by frame by Lili Rontó.

The documentary film was screened at 7 film festivals around the world, and won the main prize of the 65th Hungarian National Independent Film festival, and of the Madrid Film and Human Rights Film Festival in 2020.

For background materials, press kit and other resources, visit: https://www.drugreporter.net/kostya
Or contact: takacsistvangabor@rightsreporter.net
For more information on the Andrey Rylkov Foundation, visit: https://rylkov-fond.org/

This video is produced by the Rights Reporter Foundation, a non-profit organisation, which is not supported by any governments or political parties. If you like our shows, please support our work on our website, https://drugreporter.net/support/. Make a donation today and become our supporting member.

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