How humane drug policies improve the health of drug users

In many countries, drug users are unwilling or afraid to access medical services for several reasons, from a lack of treatment options to fear of arrest. These fears largely stem from drug policies which emphasize a law enforcement approach, rather than seeking to offer treatment, and thereby further marginalize drug users. As a result, countries with prohibitive drug policies often experience HIV and hepatitis C epidemics driven by injecting drug use. Harm reduction programs provide a vital point of access for drug users where they can receive voluntary testing for HIV and co-infections. A study published in The Lancet shows that high coverage of opioid substitution treatment, needle exchange programs and anti-retroviral treatment in combination can reduce the incidence of HIV infection in injecting drug users by over 50% in a five-year period. However, comprehensive harm reduction strategies are only sustainable when supported by a policy framework. Recently, the Global Commission on Drug Policy – a group that includes four ex-presidents, a former UN Secretary General, and a Nobel Prize laureate – has amplified the call for a rethink of drug policies, with the publication of their report in June 2011. Among their key messages are to replace punishment with treatment, and expand the range of treatment easily accessible to drug users. This presentation will examine the role which drug policies play vis-ŕ-vis the health of drug users, and look at how medical professionals and other civil society actors are advocating for drug policies rooted in public health principles.