International Harm Reduction Conference Happening Now in Beirut -- And on the Net
Our friends at the International Harm Reduction Association are holding their 22nd international conference -- this time in the Arab wor
Harm Reduction
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Chronicle Book Review: "The Pot Book" and "Cannabis Policy"
We review two books on marijuana -- one a comprehensive anthology, the other, a studious work on changing pot policy.
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Drug Courts Poor Public Policy, Reports Charge [FEATURE]
New new reports take a hard look at drug courts and suggest more effective alternatives.
Bangkok looks so modern, but some Thai drug policies are downright medieval. (Image via Wikimedia)
Thai Government in Massive Campaign to Round Up Drug Users [FEATURE]
The Thai government has officially embraced harm reduction, but the Interior Ministry doesn't seem to have gotten the memo. Mass roundups of suspected drug users are once again underway.
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Washington State Drug Reformer Roger Goodman to Run for US Congress
Roger Goodman has done wonders in Washington state. Now, the drug reforming politician wants to go to Washington, DC.
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The Prospects for Drug Reform: California [FEATURE]
California has a well-deserved reputation for being on the cutting edge of social change. What are the prospects for drug reform there now?
Los Angeles Promoting Safe Ecstasy Use
Los Angeles County Health officials have posted tips for safe ecstasy use at the publicly owned Los Angeles Coliseum and Sports Arena.
Ex-World Leaders Form Global Drug Policy Commission
Some global heavyweights have taken on the international drug control system and how to come up with a better one.
In Russia, a Glut of Heroin and Denial
Twenty one percent of the 375 tons of heroin produced from Afghanistan's opium fields now finds its way through central Asia into Russia, according to the United Nations. Unlike most countries around the world, Russia refuses to finance harm reduction programs such as needle exchanges, or to legalize methadone. Over the past few months, Moscow has decided to discontinue the work of foreign donors and NGOs with heroin addicts. Critics go as far as to accuse Moscow of willfully neglecting its citizens and thereby fueling what the World Health Organization says is one of the fastest growing HIV/AIDS epidemics in the world.
Australia Clean Needle Program Keeping HIV at Bay
Australia's early and widespread use of clean needle programs seems to have kept HIV rates among injection-drug users in check over the long term, according to a study. In many countries, needle exchange programs allow drug users to trade in used needles for new ones, but in Australia users are simply given new ones.