The many ways the rest of the world is beating the UK on drugs
Change occurs only where there has been “intensive, robust and professional grassroots activism”… Drug harm reduction represents the final safety net for many of the most socially excluded populations on Earth … But harm reduction in the drug world is not only about saving lives on the frontline; it’s also about developing policy to prevent future harm.
“We are seeing countries adopt more pragmatic, evidence-based approaches to reduce the harm of drugs,” says Niamh Eastwood, executive director of the UK drugs charity Release. From a growing number of European countries setting up safer injecting sites, to countries such as Ghana and Thailand stepping away from previously severe penalties for drug possession, progress is being made to reduce the harm of drugs. It’s impossible to estimate how many lives are saved each year by the hundreds of NGOs working in drug harm reduction around the world. Drug addiction is a symptom of marginalisation, so almost by accident, drug harm reduction represents the final safety net for many of the most socially excluded populations on Earth.
Original Article (Vice Magazine):
The Many Ways the Rest of the World Is Beating the UK on Drugs
Artwork Fair Use: Bilby