News Alerts
We send out a monthly Alert with news items, updates on the latest publications in our library and upcoming drug policy events. These Alerts are distributed by email and reach more than 10,000 policymakers, academics and practitioners in over 100 countries. The previous Alerts can be downloaded from our site in both English and Spanish through the 'Archived Alerts' box on the left.
News items regarding IDPC or our members are listed below and can be accessed by relevant month on the top left of this page.
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Approximately 100 participants from across Asia and the Pacific met in Bangkok from 28 September to 2 October to take part in the third UNAIDS Asia Pacific M&E meeting. Participants were invited to discuss preparations for the upcoming UNGASS on HIV as well as how to strengthen M&E among key affected populations, including injecting drug users.
23 October 2009
IHRA releases a new definition of harm reduction.
23 October 2009
Italian prisons are severely overcrowded. A document endorsed by major organizations urges the Government to implement treatment alternatives to imprisonment for drug addicts.
23 October 2009
On September 15, the Obama administration submitted the Memorandum of Justification explaining their decision to name Bolivia as a country that "failed demonstrably... to adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotics agreements" for the second year in a row. Once again the determination presents inaccurate, poorly prepared information, further complicated by confusing language.
23 October 2009
Over twenty-five drug users from nine different countries met in Bangkok on 16th and 17th October 2009 to finalize the Asian Network of People who Use Drugs (ANPUD).
23 October 2009
The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) are making the case in Canada for an effective law on access to medicines for patients in the developing world.
23 October 2009
The Council calls for action based on the EU Drugs Action Plan for 2009-2012, which sets as a main priority the reduction of the demand for drugs, and the health and social consequences of drug use by improving the coverage, quality and effectiveness of services of prevention, treatment and harm reduction.
23 October 2009
Indonesia has adopted a new narcotics law that once again clearly prioritises a law enforcement approach over public health and human rights considerations. The law has been criticised by HIV/AIDS, harm reduction and rights-focused NGOs for being seriously flawed in its construction and disproportionately severe in its implementation.
23 October 2009
Transform Drug Policy Foundation are to launch their internationally groundbreaking book, ‘After the War on Drugs: Blueprint for Regulation’ on 12th November 2009 in London, UK and Albuquerque,New Mexico. The book is also being launched in mainland Europe, South America, Australasia and Asia.
23 October 2009
The UN Human Rights Council, the highest political body in the UN dealing specifically with human rights, has adopted two resolutions of considerable importance to harm reduction – HIV/AIDS and human rights, and access to essential medicines. These resolutions recognise that harm reduction is a part of a rights based response to HIV/AIDS and that access to essential medicines is a component of the right to the highest attainable standard of health. This puts the Council in line with ECOSOC and the General Assembly and highlights again the isolationism of the CND on these critical issues.
7 October 2009
