11-12-09 Press debate over methadone in prison in the UK

24-11-09 Policy brief and technical paper recommends that scaling up of HIV prevention must include prisons and other closed settings

Read more: 24-11-09 Policy brief and technical paper recommends that scaling up of HIV prevention must include prisons and other closed settings

Prison Heath Protection: gathering of experts at the WHO conference in Madrid (28-31 October)

The annual conference of the WHO Health in Prison Project (HIPP), which gathers experts and practitioners on prison health from the wider European area took place in this year on the 28-31 October at the Ministry of Health and Social Policy in Madrid, Spain. 

The conference was organized by HIPP in collaboration with a number of partner organisations from Spain and other EU countries.  

The event was well attended by European policy makers, prison staff, criminal justice staff, health care staff, researchers, and NGO representatives who shared their national experiences and best practices. Main outcome of the conference is the Madrid Recommendation, recognising the urgent need in prisons for a set of measures, programmes and guidelines aiming to prevent and control major communicable diseases in prison. 

More at http://www.euro.who.int/prisons

26-10-09 A strategy for combating HIV/AIDS in the EU and neighbouring countries 2009-2013

Today the European Commission has renewed its efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in the EU and neighbouring countries by adopting a strategy for the period 2009-2013.  

The number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the EU and neighbouring countries has increased from 1.5 million in 2001 to 2.2 million in 2007. 

The strategy reiterates the fact that the biggest impact on the epidemic can be achieved when the situation of the most at risk populations is efficiently addressed. The major at risk populations in Europe are, amongst others, injecting drug users, with a share of up to 70% of all new infections in EU neighbouring countries. Tailor-made approaches to reach these groups are essential towards containing the epidemic in Europe. 

When addressing the needs of the most at risk groups, the European Commission states that “Injecting drug use (IDU) is the main driver of HIV transmission in Eastern Europe, where it accounts for 2/3 of all new infections. Drug addiction calls for an integrated medical and social response. Access to sterile needles, evidence-based addiction treatment, including substitution and other harm reduction measures, have proven to be very effective, including in high prevalence areas and in particular settings such as prisons.” Of particular concern is the high number of persons who are not aware of their infection. About 30% of people in the EU and up to 70% of people in several neighbouring countries do not know their HIV status. 

The full text of the Communication can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_threats/com/aids/com_aids_en.htm

29-09-09 What is Harm Reduction? A position statement from the International Harm Reduction Association

The International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA) have released a detailed position statement defining the term ‘harm reduction’. The statement outlines a set of underlying principles which best describe this approach. 

Harm reduction refers to policies, programmes and practices that aim to reduce the harms associated with the use of psychoactive drugs in people unable or unwilling to stop. The defining features are the focus on the prevention of harm, rather than on the prevention of drug use itself, and the focus on people who continue to use drugs. 

The position paper can be found at http://www.ihra.net/Assets/2316/1/IHRA_HRStatement.pdf

21-09-09 Beckley Briefing Number 19: Comparing the Drug Situation across Countries

The Beckley Foundation Drug Policy Programme briefing paper compares the drug situation in ten developed countries. 

Data from eight indicators are compared across six European countries, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. 

The research is helpful since drug markets are, in many respects, global and can be usefully examined from this perspective, but there are difficulties in assessing some of the indicators. Differences in how drug-law arrests and punishments are measured is apparent; some countries report offences, others arrests, and there is a marked variability in frequency of occurrences. The data on some punishments (community sentences, fines and warnings) are not routinely reported.  Imprisonment was found to be a more comparable indicator.  The paper highlights the need to improve harmonization of measurement and the quality of data and suggests some areas for future work.  The report is useful in informing the search for effective policy and programme responses to the global drug problem. 

The briefing paper can be downloaded from:  http://www.idpc.net/sites/default/files/library/Beckley%20Briefing%2019.pdf