Criminal justice

Publications19 September 2023

Legal approaches to new psychoactive substances: First empirical findings

Van Amsterdam et al. present the first set of empirical findings relating to generic drug legislation in the UK and Germany, revealing it to be largely ineffective in counteracting NPS use and causing increased public health problems.

News19 September 2023

Malaysia: Government to review criminal penalties relating to drug use

The Malaysian government's review of criminal penalties for drug-related offences signals a progressive step towards a more compassionate and evidence-based approach to drug use in the region.

News16 September 2023

Criminalisation does not deter people from taking drugs

Persistent 'tough on drugs' approaches do not prevent drug use, they have only served as a tool of discrimination, harming police and community relations.

News12 September 2023

Uganda: New Narcotics Bill risks exacerbating 'drug-addiction issue'

The impending legislation further criminalises drug use in Uganda, alienating people who use drugs from crucial health and harm reduction services and posing a serious risk to their wellbeing.

Events

CCPCJ thematic discussions on the implementation of the Kyoto Declaration

Vienna, Austria / Online

21 September 2023 - 22 September 2023

The sessions will provide a platform to share information, good practices and lessons learned.

Publications12 September 2023

Police seizure of drugs without arrest among people who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada, before provincial ‘decriminalization’ of simple possession: a cohort study

Hayashi et al. reveal that despite the enactment of a depenalisation policy in Vancouver, police continued to seize illicit drugs from people who use drugs, calling for abolition of this harmful discretionary policing practice.

News5 September 2023

US health department recommends looser restrictions on cannabis

Despite being legal for adult recreational use in 23 states in America, cannabis remains an illegal schedule 1 drug at the federal level, signaling an urgent need for reform.

News30 August 2023

Drug laws and access to justice in the Philippines fellowship programme - Call for applications

IDPC invites applications from eligible persons in the Philippines who are passionate about using their legal skills and experience to help people that are negatively affected by drug laws in the country.

News21 August 2023

Confronting the drug war: Roundtable series

Harm reduction activists and researchers take part in a multi-part series to deconstruct the disease model of addiction, discuss alternate ways of thinking about drug use and present ways to reform current prohibitionist drug policies.

News21 August 2023

Thanks for nothing, DEA: Fifty years later, drugs are deadlier and more abundant than ever

Despite half a century of increased funding, more seizures and heavier policing, the DEA have failed to prevent the flow of drugs into the U.S, and the number of overdose deaths as a result of a toxic drug supply continue to rise.

Publications16 August 2023

Women deprived of liberty in the Americas

The IACHR highlights the role that drug policies play in soaring women incarceration rates in the region, calling for alternatives to incarceration and gender-specific reintegration policies.

News15 August 2023

We know what happens when we prosecute drug dealers as murderers

Instead of doubling down on counterproductive prohibitionist policies, governments should invest in evidence-based health alternatives, supportive services, and better approaches to regulation such as safer supply.

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