Latin America has emerged at the vanguard of efforts to promote debate on drug policy reform. For decades, Latin American governments largely followed the drug control policies and programs of Washington’s so-called war on drugs.

Yet two parallel trends have resulted in a dramatic change in course: the emergence of left-wing governments that have challenged Washington’s historic patterns of unilateralism and interventionism and growing frustration with the failure of the prohibitionist drug control model put forward by the US government. In recent years, the regional debate on drug policy issues -- long dormant -- has surged as evident in media coverage, renewed interest on the part of academia, the emergence of grassroots initiatives such as the cannabis reform movement, and perhaps most importantly, calls for reconsideration of prevailing drug policies by a range of local and national officials.

For the first time, sitting presidents are questioning the underlining premises of the international drug control paradigm and calling for debate on alternative approaches. Their actions have had repercussions internationally, as those presidents have successfully pushed for debate within the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations (UN).

Version 1 of the paper is available here.

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IDPC Briefing Paper - The drug policy reform agenda in the Americas (Version 2)

This working paper has been prepared as part of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) commissioned review of alcohol and other drug treatment service funding, being undertaken by the Drug Policy Modelling Program. The review aims to inform the distribution of Commonwealth government alcohol and other drug treatment funding.

This paper sets out to explore the central concepts behind treatment planning: need for treatment and demand for treatment. We outline the various approaches to assessing the extent of unmet need and unmet demand, and the substantial challenges associated with creating estimates to assist health planners. The paper focuses initially on unmet need and provides examples of the difficulties associated with the accuracy of such estimates. This is followed by analysis of the methods of estimating unmet demand.

We then turn to other considerations in planning treatment services around need and demand–including the dynamic interplay between demand for treatment and service system characteristics. The paper concludes with an examination of the implications of this work for generating Australian estimates of need and demand for AOD treatment.

Estimating need and demand for treatment – a background briefing

The baseline report provides the results of the baseline assessment study conducted in the beginning of CAHR project implementation in five countries (Kenya, China,Malaysia, India, and Indonesia). It also offers analysis of the obtained results, as well as recommendations for further research agenda and improvements of access to quality harm reduction services.

Baseline report for the Community Action on Harm Reduction project

Violence is often a greater concern for key populations than the risk of infection by HIV. Community led crisis response systems can reduce the vulnerability of key populations by helping to address and prevent the violence, abuse, harassment, and discrimination that they frequently experience. Community Led Crisis Response Systems, a new handbook based on the experience of the Avahan India AIDS Initiative, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is an important tool for any program wishing to provide a comprehensive package of HIV prevention interventions.

Based on the experiences of grassroots NGOs working with female sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgendered people, and injecting drug users, it offers program managers and key population leaders practical, operational guidance on setting up and managing a community led crisis response system.

The handbook describes how to tailor systems to local contexts and provides multiple examples of the administrative and organizational tools that are essential to make a crisis response system effective.

Violence is often a greater concern for key populations than the risk of infection by HIV. Community led crisis response systems can reduce the vulnerability of key populations by helping to address and prevent the violence, abuse, harassment, and discrimination that they frequently experience. Community Led Crisis Response Systems, a new handbook based on the experience of the Avahan India AIDS Initiative, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is an important tool for any program wishing to provide a comprehensive package of HIV prevention interventions. Based on the experiences of grassroots NGOs working with female sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgendered people, and injecting drug users, it offers program managers and key population leaders practical, operational guidance on setting up and managing a community led crisis response system. The handbook describes how to tailor systems to local contexts and provides multiple examples of the administrative and organizational tools that are essential to make a crisis response system effective. - See more at: http://futuresgroup.com/resources/publications/community_led_crisis_response_systems_a_handbook_based_on_the_experience_of?utm_source=Avahan+-+Crisis+Response+--+Global+Audience&utm_campaign=Avahan+Global+1+Crisis+Response&utm_medium=email#sthash.54RgJ3cH.dpufViolence is often a greater concern for key populations than the risk of infection by HIV. Community led crisis response systems can reduce the vulnerability of key populations by helping to address and prevent the violence, abuse, harassment, and discrimination that they frequently experience. Community Led Crisis Response Systems, a new handbook based on the experience of the Avahan India AIDS Initiative, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is an important tool for any program wishing to provide a comprehensive package of HIV prevention interventions. Based on the experiences of grassroots NGOs working with female sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgendered people, and injecting drug users, it offers program managers and key population leaders practical, operational guidance on setting up and managing a community led crisis response system. The handbook describes how to tailor systems to local contexts and provides multiple examples of the administrative and organizational tools that are essential to make a crisis response system effective. - See more at: http://futuresgroup.com/resources/publications/community_led_crisis_response_systems_a_handbook_based_on_the_experience_of?utm_source=Avahan+-+Crisis+Response+--+Global+Audience&utm_campaign=Avahan+Global+1+Crisis+Response&utm_medium=email#sthash.54RgJ3cH.dpufViolence is often a greater concern for key populations than the risk of infection by HIV. Community led crisis response systems can reduce the vulnerability of key populations by helping to address and prevent the violence, abuse, harassment, and discrimination that they frequently experience. Community Led Crisis Response Systems, a new handbook based on the experience of the Avahan India AIDS Initiative, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is an important tool for any program wishing to provide a comprehensive package of HIV prevention interventions. Based on the experiences of grassroots NGOs working with female sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgendered people, and injecting drug users, it offers program managers and key population leaders practical, operational guidance on setting up and managing a community led crisis response system. The handbook describes how to tailor systems to local contexts and provides multiple examples of the administrative and organizational tools that are essential to make a crisis response system effective. - See more at: http://futuresgroup.com/resources/publications/community_led_crisis_response_systems_a_handbook_based_on_the_experience_of?utm_source=Avahan+-+Crisis+Response+--+Global+Audience&utm_campaign=Avahan+Global+1+Crisis+Response&utm_medium=email#sthash.54RgJ3cH.dpuf

Community-led crisis response systems – A handbook on the experience of the Avahan India AIDS Initiative

Drug use practices that can lead to transmission of HIV, HCV, and other infections are pressing issues affecting communities throughout Canada. To stay current with emerging evidence and ensure that people have access to high-quality services that help prevent HIV and HCV transmission, best practice recommendations must undergo review and update.

A Canada-wide team of researchers, service providers, policy makers and people with lived experience have developed, through extensive literature review and synthesis, an updated and comprehensive set of best practice recommendations.

The document has new and improved best practice recommendations about needle and syringe distribution, other injection equipment distribution, handling and disposal of used drug-use equipment, and safer drug-use education. In addition, lots of new material can be found on safer crack cocaine smoking equipment distribution and opioid overdose prevention (education and naloxone distribution).

The Best Practice Recommendations are divided into two parts. Part 1 is a synthesis of the most up-to-date scientific evidence available about the distribution of injection and smoking equipment, safer drug use education and overdose prevention. Part 2 will focus on program models, testing and vaccination, first aid, referrals and counselling, and relationships with police and other organizations. It is scheduled be completed in the latter part of 2014.

Best practice recommendations for Canadian harm reduction programmes

The tenth meeting of the Informal Drug Policy Dialogue series, organised by the Transnational Institute (TNI) and Association Diogenis, took place in Warsaw, Poland, gathering over 35 NGO representatives, academics, policy makers and practitioners. The Dialogue comprised five major sessions on drug policy.

During the first session, participants discussed the current state of drug policy in Poland. The second session focused on the new European Union (EU) Drug Strategy for 2013-2020 and its Action Plan for 2013-2016. Thirdly, participants discussed cannabis policy reform movements worldwide, with a special focus on the legal regulation of cannabis markets in US states Colorado and Washington and the Uruguayan bill on cannabis policy. In the following session, participants shared their experience and expertise on different models of decriminalisation, with a specific focus on Poland, Italy and the Czech Republic. The final session of theDialogue provided updates on the 56th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), which was held from 11th to 15th March 2013 in Vienna, Austria.

Report of TNI/Diogenis Informal Drug Policy Dialogue 2013 Warsaw 

The national opioid pharmacotherapy statistics annual data collection 2012 has found that on any given day almost 47,000 people received pharmacotherapy treatment for their opioid dependence at 2,226 dosing points around Australia.

General findings point that the number of people receiving opioid pharmacotherapy treatment has almost double since 1998 though growth rates in the amount of service users has been slowing down in recent years.Other findings point to an ageing population accessing these facilities with Males and Indigenous people being over-represented in pharmacotherapy.

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Australian national opioid pharmacotherapy statistics annual data collection 2012

The objective of this report by the Australian Insitute of Health and Welfare is to inform on the planning, delivery, and quality of prisoner health services. Among the main findings have been the significant health issues, with high rates of mental health problems, communicable diseases, alcohol misuse, smoking and illicit drug use; as well as a comparatively higher prevalence on aboriginal populations.

Click here to see the full publication (restricted access)

The health of Australia’s prisoners 2012

The Australian Government has released a new ten-year strategy for improving health outcomes among Indigenous Australians. The Plan builds on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It adopts a strengths-based approach to ensure policies and programs improve health, social and emotional wellbeing, and resilience and promote positive health behaviours. The policy acknowledges the detrimental impact on social and emotional wellbeing that alcohol and other drugs can have on Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander communities.

National aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health plan 2013-2023

The World Health Organization estimates that as many as 185 million people, or 3 percent of the world’s population, are infected with the hepatitis C virus. Though it is curable, the vast majority of people living with hepatitis C reside in low- and middle-income countries where treatment is virtually inaccessible.

The main medicine used in the current standard of care—Pegylated Interferon-alfa (Peg-IFN)—can cost as much as $18,000 USD in these countries for a 48-week course of treatment. For those who cannot afford it, this price tag may mean death.

Hepatitis C Treatment: Price, Profits, and Barriers to Access

, we examine the difference in price of a 48-week course of hepatitis C treatment in low- and middle-income countries, and detail breakthroughs that have been made in countries like Egypt and Thailand to negotiate lower prices and increase access to this lifesaving medicine.

Hepatitis C treatment: Price, profits, and barriers to access

Modern use of the coca leaf in Argentina provides a series of examples that could contribute to dispelling many of the myths that have polarized debate about the subject over the last few years. Argentine coca consumption does not fit commonly held preconceptions on the subject. Furthermore, the social acceptance and legitimacy of the habit has created an absurd situation in which the sale and possession of coca leaf for consumption is legal, but the supply and wholesale purchase of it are prohibited, and therefore part of an illegal circuit.

Argentine coca leaf consumption is definitely traditional but not entirely indigenous. It is rooted in the Northwest of Argentine in every social class, and not only in the poorer sectors. Argentine consumption of coca is legal and very widespread.

The Northwest of Argentina is a choice destination for a significant proportion of the Bolivian crop. This fact was never taken into account by international narcotics control bodies, nor did it ever influence the design of public policy in Argentina.

Attention must be drawn to the sheer scale of Argentine coca imports, and to the border rent which appears to remain forever in the hands of the ‘backyard’ of security forces, and other networks of a similar kind.

It is high time that a new bilateral agreement be established between the two countries with the aim of regulating legal imports of the coca leaf.

Working towards a legal coca market: The case of coca leaf chewing in Argentina

The European Union (EU) has had some form of formal drug strategy since the early 1990s. These successive strategies have attempted to articulate a common Europe-wide position, and set out the role for the European Commission (EC) and other agencies in supporting the activities of EU member states given that the main decisions on policy, strategy and resource allocations are made at the national level.

Reviewing successive versions of the EU Drug Strategy, a clear trend of increasing scope, sophistication and clarity can be observed. Over the last 20 years, European governments and institutions have led the way globally in collecting information about the drug problem and government responses;1 in implementing and learning from the experience of a wide range of supply reduction, demand reduction, and harm reduction activities; and in developing a consensus around a balanced approach to strategy that avoids the more extreme forms of repressive law enforcement, and encourages significant investment in harm reduction and treatment services for people who use drugs.

In this advocacy note, the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) analyses the extent to which the Strategy, and its initial Action Plan, are effective in articulating activities and plans that are appropriate to this challenge, and that reflect the best evidence and experience in this sector. We also comment on the extent to which the process of development of these documents has lived up to the Strategy objective to: ‘Promote and encourage the active and meaningful participation and involvement of civil society… in the development and implementation of drug policies, at national, EU and international level.’

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