North America

US President Nixon launched the "war on drugs" in the 1970s. Today, incarceration, social marginalisation and drug-related deaths have led North America to rethink this strategy. However, although positive developments are happening locally in the fields of harm reduction, alternatives to incarceration, new drug law enforcement approaches and cannabis regulation, the US and Canadian federal governments remain resistant to drug policy reform.

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Results 1 to 20 of 1114.

The Implications of COVID-19 on Substance Use and Mental Health – A Public Health Perspective

28 September 2020 19:00-20:00

Online webinar

Join the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction to examine how Canada's response to the pandemic has affected those suffering from substance abuse and mental health issues.

Events 23 hours, 50 minutes ago

‘Peer’ work as precarious: A qualitative study of work conditions and experiences of people who use drugs engaged in harm reduction work

A.Greer et. all highlight peer workers are particularly vulnerable to precarious working conditions, entrenching inequities and imperilling the harm reduction response.

Publications September 10, 2020

The 6th International Conference on Law Enforcement and Public Health: Abstract submissions now open

22 - 24 March 2021

Online

The sixth international conference will be held virtually in 2021.

Events 8 September 2020

Safe drug supply key to fighting overdoses in Canada: Trudeau

The Canadian PM's position follows years of advocacy by community members and top health officials.

News Alerts September 7, 2020

Overdose awareness day: Drug users are aware—What about governments?

Knowledge and awareness need to go hand in hand with the dismantlement of oppressive structures that cost lives.

News Alerts September 7, 2020

Overdose education and naloxone distribution within syringe service programs — United States, 2019

Barrot et al. report increased provision of opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution in needle and syringe programmes in the US, but coverage remains unequal.

Publications September 7, 2020

Canada is so close to decriminalizing drugs: Let’s make it happen

Canada has issued prosecution guidelines that encourage alternatives to criminalisation but activists and experts underscore the importance of legal change.

News Alerts September 2, 2020

Pregnancy and substance use - A harm reduction toolkit

The Harm Reduction Coalition and the Academy of Perinatal Harm Reduction offer a toolkit to support the health and well-being of pregnant people who use drugs and their families.

Publications September 1, 2020

Dismantling the federal drug war: A comprehensive drug decriminalization framework

DPA proposes a comprehensive overhaul of federal drug policy anchored in the decriminalisation of people who use drugs.

Publications August 6, 2020

Four Canadians with terminal cancer win the right to try magic mushrooms

The use of psilocybin mushrooms in a therapeutic setting can ease the anguish and anxiety when coming to terms with a terminal illness.

News Alerts August 6, 2020

Beneath tragic new United States overdose figures, there are wide regional variations

Harm reduction investments in the Northeastern region might explain disparities in the ongoing tragedy that is the overdose crisis.

News Alerts August 5, 2020

How Structural Violence, Prohibition, and Stigma Have Paralyzed North American Responses to Opioid Overdose

Tyndall and Dodd discuss the roots of policymakers' inaction to end prohibition and, in turn, the overdose crisis.

Publications August 5, 2020

Preliminary findings of the impact of COVID-19 on drugs crypto markets

Bergeron et al. look into the correlation between COVID-19 lockdowns and the disruption of drug cryptomarkets.

Publications August 5, 2020

Care during COVID-19: Drug use, harm reduction, and intimacy during a global pandemic

Schlosser and Harris discuss challenges and innovation by peers and other harm reductionists in response to disruptions caused by COVID-19.

Publications August 5, 2020

The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act: The good, the bad and the ineffective

The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network evaluate the law's impact in terms of awareness and reliance on medical assistance.

Publications August 4, 2020

Stimulus Connect: Women, Drugs, Pregnancy and the State

30 July 2020 13:00-15:00

Online

The webinar will address women-centred harm reduction programmes and policies responsive to their lived realities.

Events 23 July 2020

Amid record overdose deaths, B.C.’s top doctor calls for decriminalization

Dr. Bonnie Henry urged the federal government to end criminal penalties for people found in possession of small quantities of drugs and provide safe supply.

News Alerts July 17, 2020

Taking back what's ours! – Episode 2: Canada

This second episode explores how drug user activist groups in Canada have contributed to significant changes in access to treatment and harm reduction.

News Alerts July 16, 2020

Secret US drug injection site shows how supervision could save lives

As governments drag their feet amidst a destructive overdose crisis, community-based organisations mobilise to save lives.

News Alerts July 9, 2020

No time like the present: Drug policy reform is more urgent than ever

8 July 2020 12:00-13:30

Online

This side event will discuss incarceration, HIV/AIDS, the rule of law and human rights issues.

Events 8 July 2020

International Drug Policy Consortium

North America

The Implications of COVID-19 on Substance Use and Mental Health – A Public Health Perspective

‘Peer’ work as precarious: A qualitative study of work conditions and experiences of people who use drugs engaged in harm reduction work

The 6th International Conference on Law Enforcement and Public Health: Abstract submissions now open

Safe drug supply key to fighting overdoses in Canada: Trudeau

Overdose awareness day: Drug users are aware—What about governments?

Overdose education and naloxone distribution within syringe service programs — United States, 2019

Canada is so close to decriminalizing drugs: Let’s make it happen

Pregnancy and substance use - A harm reduction toolkit

Dismantling the federal drug war: A comprehensive drug decriminalization framework

Four Canadians with terminal cancer win the right to try magic mushrooms

Beneath tragic new United States overdose figures, there are wide regional variations

How Structural Violence, Prohibition, and Stigma Have Paralyzed North American Responses to Opioid Overdose

Preliminary findings of the impact of COVID-19 on drugs crypto markets

Care during COVID-19: Drug use, harm reduction, and intimacy during a global pandemic

The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act: The good, the bad and the ineffective

Stimulus Connect: Women, Drugs, Pregnancy and the State

Amid record overdose deaths, B.C.’s top doctor calls for decriminalization

Taking back what's ours! – Episode 2: Canada

Secret US drug injection site shows how supervision could save lives

No time like the present: Drug policy reform is more urgent than ever

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