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It adopted the slogan: \u201cA drug free world \u2013 We can do it!\u201d We did not do it, of course. But some of the methods employed ostensibly to achieve a drug free world \u2013 such as criminalizing drug use \u2013 resulted in catastrophic health and human rights consequences in many countries. While the so-called \u2018war on drugs\u2019 was wreaking havoc in many countries, an alternative approach to drugs was slowly taking hold, one which saves lives, saves money, and respects the human rights of people who use drugs. This approach is called harm reduction.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed\u0022 data-type=\u0022image\u0022\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-right embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--right\u0022 xmlns:xlink=\u0022http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\u0022figure figure--expand text-center \u0022\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__media relative inline-block mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022\/modal\/27912\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2016\/harmreduction-rev.png?itok=UHZe9QD7 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2016\/harmreduction-rev.png?itok=jv8A4pwP 946w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 524px) 100px, 500px\u0022 width=\u0022946\u0022 height=\u0022483\u0022 data-responsive-image-style=\u0022embedded_images\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2016\/harmreduction-rev.png?itok=jv8A4pwP\u0022 alt=\u0022Rethinking the War on Drugs\u0022\u003E\n\n\n\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__expand absolute block bottom-0 right-0 w-8 h-8 bg-white text-gray-700\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022sr-only\u0022\u003EClick to expand Image\u003C\/span\u003E\n \n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-full inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewBox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=250315#sprite-expand\u0022 \/\u003E\n \u003C\/svg\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe core premise of harm reduction is that the goal of a drug free world is an illusion; there will always be people who use drugs. Rather than jailing them, this approach seeks to reduce the impact of drug use on their health. This involves measures such as distributing sterile needles and syringes to prevent HIV transmission; teaching people who use drugs and their loved ones how to treat and reverse overdoses; and helping people with drug dependence enter into effective treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EMy organization, Harm Reduction International (HRI), has tracked global data on harm reduction for 10 years. In \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ihra.net\/what-is-harm-reduction\u0022\u003E2014, we found some\u003C\/a\u003E form of harm reduction programming, such as needle and syringe programs or opioid substitution therapy, in more than half the 158 countries with documented intravenous drug use. Countries which have implemented these services have seen important public health gains such as reductions in HIV rates and overdose deaths. Where such services aren\u2019t provided, HIV rates and other costly health related harms among this vulnerable population have gone virtually unchecked.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EBut progress is frustratingly slow. To date, investments in harm reduction have been minimal in most countries: Just \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ihra.net\/files\/2014\/08\/06\/IHRA_3CentsReport_Web.pdf\u0022\u003EUS$160 million\u003C\/a\u003E in low- and middle-income countries, about 7 percent of the estimated need \u2013 peanuts compared to an estimated \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.countthecosts.org\/seven-costs\/wasting-billions-drug-law-enforcement\u0022\u003EUS$100 billion\u003C\/a\u003E spent annually on drug control around the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EA \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ihra.net\/files\/2016\/03\/10\/Report_The_Case_for_a_Harm_Reduction_Decade.pdf\u0022\u003Erecent report\u003C\/a\u003E by HRI using statistical modelling suggests if just 7.5 percent of global drug control funding were to be redirected to harm reduction by 2020, there would be 94 percent fewer new HIV infections among people who inject drugs by 2030, and 93 percent fewer HIV-related deaths among people who inject drugs.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIt is time for world leaders to leave behind the misguided approach of pursuing a drug free world. Instead they should commit to a Harm Reduction Decade and all but wipe out HIV\/AIDS among people who inject drugs.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null},{"command":"insert","method":"prepend","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__288493__en","data":"","settings":null}]