Young people

Events

Youth information sessions on the CND expert panel reviewing the global drug control system

Online

19 October 2026 - 20 October 2026

Youth RISE and partners are organising two interactive sessions to help young advocates engage with the UN expert panel reviewing the international drug control system and prepare written submissions.

Publications14 September 2026

Making children and young people visible in drug policy: A child rights-based agenda for reform

The Global Commission on Drug Policy calls for a child rights-based overhaul of drug policy, urging governments to move away from punitive approaches and ensure access to health services, essential controlled medicines, harm reduction and safeguards.

Events

'From waiting in line, to the United Nations': Families of people deprived of liberty as rights holders and key actors in crime prevention and social reintegration

Vienna, Austria / Online

3 June 2026

This side event at centres the rights and experiences of families of people deprived of liberty, highlighting the impact of incarceration on women, children and adolescents.

Publications13 December 2025

Drug decriminalization: A co-designed study outlining the implications for providers of youth services

Morgan et al. conclude that effective drug policy in British Columbia should be co-designed and co-facilitated with young people who use drugs and practitioners to better address local needs.

Publications11 December 2025

Policing and access to harm reduction services among young people who use drugs and young Indigenous people who use drugs before and after the pilot implementation of decriminalization of personal possession

McAdam et al. examine how decriminalisation reduced policing-related barriers to services, revealing important benefits for young people, including Indigenous.

News11 December 2025

Dance for freedom: Rave revolution in front of the Hungarian Parliament

Thousands gathered to protest Hungary's escalating police harassment of musicians, clubs and young people.

Publications25 September 2025

Development dimensions of drug policy: Assessing new challenges, uncovering opportunities, and addressing emerging issues

UNDP charts a rights- and development-centred turn in drug policy, prioritising decriminalisation, harm reduction, equity-led transitions, and practical pathways to responsibly regulate some drug markets.

Publications15 September 2025

Guaranteeing the rights of young people and substance use in contexts of armed conflict in the Colombian Amazon - Submission to the UN CESCR on Colombia

IDPC and A la Orilla del Río highlight how prohibitionism continues to shape the lives of young people in the Colombian Amazon, where gaps between policy and practice perpetuate stigmatisation and deny rights.

Publications14 August 2025

Youth RISE: Promoting harm reduction & drug policy reform

Youth RISE explains that current drug education, often focused on fear-mongering and punitive approaches, fails to equip young people with the knowledge and tools they need to stay safe.

News7 April 2025

Survey: Understanding the impact of the US stop-work order on funding for HIV and youth programmes

Y+ Global, Youth LEAD, Youth RISE and The PACT lead on this effort to better understand the cuts' impacts on operations and access to services.

Publications28 February 2025

Addressing the intersection of poverty, child protection, and drug policy in EECA - Contribution to the upcoming report of the UN SR on extreme poverty

EHRA highlights the harm repressive drug policies cause to children and families and urges reforms to ensure protections.

Events

Decriminalisation and the rights of young people who use drugs

Online

18 February 2025 - 20 February 2025

This workshop from YouthRISE will discuss youth-centred legal approaches and advocacy for youth empowerment.

Explore more content