ABC News Australia: “Drug decriminalisation a ‘blindingly obvious’ solution for Australia”

Read original article in ABC News Australia.   Medical, legal and religious groups have joined forces to call for drugs to be decriminalised in Australia, arguing addiction should be treated as a health issue rather than a criminal one. The Fair Treatment campaign is being led by the Uniting Church with

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Ruth Dreifuss et Pedro Pires dans Jeune Afrique: “Il faut innover en matière de lutte anti-drogue”

“Les lois actuelles sur les drogues en Afrique de l’Ouest sont loin de produire les résultats escomptés : les trafiquants se servent des côtes et du Sahara pour le transit de la cocaïne acheminée vers l’Europe et la consommation locale ne cesse d’augmenter. Les réponses publiques basées sur la prohibition sont

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Commissioners Clark and Kazatchkine: “Time for a change in drug policy in Belarus”

This opinion piece was published in Russian. Read original article in KYKY. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, countries which emerged from it and others nearby, like Belarus, experienced a wave of injecting drug use, which in turn, fueled an epidemic of HIV and hepatitis C. Belarus was exemplary in following evidence-based

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Commissioners Dreifuss and Grover: ” A template to fight addiction”

Read original article in DNA India. After years of denial and hesitation, Punjab has at last taken the first step towards addressing the opioid crisis currently confronting the state. The decision taken last month by the Government of Punjab to open “Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment” (OOAT) centres constitutes an evidence-based, compassionate

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Commissioner Grover: “Removing the drug-use stigma”

Read original article in Myanmar Times   People who use drugs or possess small quantities for personal use engage in a non-violent act that potentially harms only them. Yet out of fear and a limited understanding of the complex nature of drug use and dependence, Myanmar has for many years taken a

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ASEAN: Drugs might harm individuals, but current policies undermine social cohesion

Global Commissioners and former presidents Ruth Dreifuss of Switzerland, Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil, and Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, publish an opinion piece on drug policy reform in Southeast Asia in eight major papers, in ASEAN countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) and Hong Kong. Bangkok Post (Thailand)

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Our International Perspective On America’s Response To The Opioid Epidemic

Read original article in the Huffington Post A lot has been written about the current crisis of opioid addiction and overdose, which is now the leading cause of death for Americans under 50. Even if this dramatic development affects almost solely North America, there are many parallels to situations that other

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The Global Commission calls for decriminalization as key to addressing the opioid epidemic in North America

PRESS RELEASE Wednesday 1 November 2017 The current opioid epidemic that is sweeping across North America urgently requires a balanced and responsible legal framework for managing the presence of drugs in society. Authorities initially responded to the crisis by limiting the supply of prescription opioids from health care providers. Evidence

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Commission makes recommendations for tackling opioid crisis in North America

Globe and Mail covers launch of the Global Commission on Drug Policy’s position paper on the opioid crisis in North America, with an interview with Commissioner Michel Kazatchkine. The Global Commission on Drug Policy has issued recommendations on tackling North America’s opioid crisis, calling for the immediate expansion of harm-reduction

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Two steps forward, one step back on drug policy

Richard Branson: Ending The War on Drugs Read original post on Virgin website You’d think that after nearly five decades of failed policies, trillions wasted and thousands killed, the so-called War on Drugs (first declared by US President Nixon in the early 1970s) would give way to more sensible approaches

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