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 890.

Donald Trump says individual states can decide whether to legalise marijuana

The announcement trumps Attorney General Sessions' move to allow federal prosecutors to pursue cases against people who were following cannabis laws in states that have legalised it.

News Alerts 6 days, 20 hours ago

The opposite of D.A.R.E – DPA launches new high school drug education curriculum in a NYC School

Safety First started out as a resource for parents to talk to their teens about drugs and has now evolved into a curriculum designed to be implemented in 9th and 10th grade high school health classes.

News Alerts April 12, 2018

The next naloxone? Companies, academics search for better overdose-reversal drugs

As more overdose deaths are linked to incredibly potent opioid agonists, such as fentanyl and analogues, the pressure mounts to find more effective antidotes.

News Alerts April 12, 2018

63th Session: Inter-American drug abuse control commission

25 - 27 April 2018

Ciudad de México, México

The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) is the Western Hemisphere's policy forum for dealing with the drug problem. The CICAD Executive Secretariat supports the Commission by strengthening the human and institutional capabilities and channeling the collective efforts of its member…

Events 12 April 2018

Naloxone stops opioid overdoses. How do you use it?

The US Surgeon General has exhorted more people to carry naloxone. The authors explain why.

News Alerts April 10, 2018

Opioid crisis: Top doctor urges access to overdose antidote

The U.S. Surgeon General issued his office’s first national public health advisory in 13 years to urge for wider availability of naloxone.

News Alerts April 9, 2018

The war on drugs breeds crafty traffickers

President Trump endorses execution of drug traffickers, despite wealth of evidence it does not discourage individuals and violates human rights.

News Alerts April 5, 2018

Separating newborn babies from mothers with addiction does more harm than good, says doctor

It has been mistakenly believed that babies are experiencing drug withdrawal, when in fact they are reacting to the stress induced by being separated from their mothers.

News Alerts March 29, 2018

Public meeting for patient-focused drug development on opioid use disorder (OUD)

17 April 2018 10:00-16:00

Maryland, United States

The US Food and Drug Administration is inviting patients to share the effects of OUD on their health and well-being that have the greatest impact on daily life, their experience using prescription medical treatments and other treatments or therapies for OUD, and challenges or barriers to accessing or using medical treatments for OUD.

Events 28 March 2018

Global Affairs Canada discusses cannabis regulation and the UN drug control conventions at Senate hearing

The meeting discussed Bill C-45 and its implications for Canada's obligations under the UN Drug Conventions.

News Alerts March 22, 2018

Drug courts in the Americas

The Social Science Research Council reviews key findings from regional case studies on drug courts that may be useful to inform debates about these mechanisms and other alternatives to incarceration for low-level drug crimes.

Publications March 21, 2018

Child welfare: the unintended consequence of the War on Drugs

09:00 13 March - 12:00 9 March 2018

New York, United States

This panel will focus on the intersection of child welfare policy and drugs. From the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s to the current opioid crisis to growing acceptance of marijuana use, race and socioeconomic status have shaped reactions to drug use and the consequences for parents and their…

Events 9 March 2018

The global pain crisis: narrowing the gap in access to palliative care

12 March 2018 18:00-20:00

New York, United States

75 percent of the world’s population have limited or no access to adequate pain relief.

Events 7 March 2018

First supervised inhalation site opens in North America

Opening the site to other routes of administration will ensure increased access and higher impact.

News Alerts March 6, 2018

Management of opioid use disorders: a national clinical practice guideline

This guideline supports using a stepped and integrated care approach, in which treatment intensity is continually adjusted to accommodate individual patient needs and circumstances over time.

Publications March 5, 2018

Community overdose responses- 'Lessons from Canada'

9 March 2018 13:30-16:30

Glasgow, Scotland

The purpose of the event will be to look to expand on innovative methods preventing fatal overdose and other drug-related harms currently being employed in Scotland, and also learn from the work of colleagues in Canada.

Events 28 February 2018

2018 Southern harm reduction and drug policy conference

24 - 25 April 2018

North Carolina, United States

The Southern harm reduction and drug policy conference 2018 will take place in Lake Junaluska, Western North Carolina.

Events 28 February 2018

Trump to nominate Jim Carroll for 'drug czar'

President's Trump nominee does not seem to have prior experience on the subject and takes the reins amidst significant cuts to the agency.

News Alerts February 26, 2018

I know from experience why San Francisco needs a safer injection facility

Criticism against safer consumption sites ignores scientific research and the lived experiences of people who use drugs, which attest to the benefits of these harm reduction interventions.