Kentucky opioid settlement spending: $7 million on harm reduction & recovery. $1.7 million on gas, repairs for police cars & pay increases for sheriff's deputies. Only 10% of funds have been spent. Localities should feel the urgency to infuse this money into communities: kypolicy.org/kentucky-opi...

Punishing people who use illegal drugs doesn’t work—and only worsens health, racial, and economic inequities. Harm reduction does work. Open Society’s Judy Chang breaks down why.

The National Roadmap for Opioid Settlement Funds, signed by more than 200 organizations across the country, details how opioid settlement funds should be spent -- on harm reduction, housing & supportive services, and repairing racial and economic harms: populardemocracyinaction.org/publication/...

New research quantifies an issue @open-society.bsky.social & our partners have been highlighting - opioid settlement funds going to policing & prisons rather than health solutions. This study finds Appalchian states spending up to 41% on law enforcement: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

It’s time for new approach in Ireland. Great points from Social Democrat Leader Holly Cairns• Someone dies from drug overdose in Ireland almost every day• Drug deaths there are almost 3 times EU average • 70% of ppl entering prison are impacted by substance use: www.thejournal.ie/senators-and...

“‘This is not a marginal adjustment. It is a recognition that criminalising people for their own drug use has not reduced harm, and that a different approach is both possible and overdue,’ said committee chair Gary Gannon of the Social Democrats.” www.rte.ie/news/politic...

The Irish parliamentary group recommends wider use of overdose prevention centers, including mobile sites, making naloxone over the counter, and ending short prison sentences drug-related offences replacing them with community sanctions or restorative justice measures: www.rte.ie/news/politic...

Great to learn of @euda.europa.eu new mandate, to see old friends and to make new ones. Europe has always been a fantastic region for evidence-based drug policy. I look forward to its continued leadership -- now more than ever we need a North Star! www.linkedin.com/posts/eudrug...

The Irish Parliamentary Drug Policy group just published a roadmap for drug policy reform. Some fantastic recommendations related to decrim, support to harm reduction and evidence-based treatment. It is impressive how board and diverse the group is. Go Ireland! www.irishtimes.com/politics/oir...

We’re doubling down on our work in the United States with a $300 million investment to expand rights, foster economic dignity, and rebuild our democracy.

“Eliminating take-home doses could make it impossible for someone to continue care." Rep. Houchin's bill would undo modest but hard-fought gains in methadone access as the overdose crisis continues, reports @helenredmond.bsky.social:

Are you a journalist or are talking to journalists about opioid settlements? Here is a great resource for you put together by Reporting on Addiction: learn.reportingonaddiction.org/opioid-settl...

A Fantastic piece by @taylorjung.bsky.social on an excellent harm reduction effort in Paterson, NJ where a world of assistance is delivered in one small building: www.njspotlightnews.org/special-repo...

“When someone needs $500 to get out of a tent & get somewhere safe, and the county’s sitting on $500,000 & can’t figure out how to spend it, it’s like, ‘What are we doing?’” www.pressherald.com/2026/04/02/s...

Opioid settlements funding, a state managed effort, is to support 16 projects in the City of Bangor in Maine. Taking into account recent federal cuts, it's imperative that this funding goes to evidence-based interventions: www.bangordailynews.com/2026/03/09/b...

Drug use on the battlefield has long been a feature of warfare across the globe and across time: www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/...

Our report “The Death Penalty for Drug Offences: Global Overview 2025” is out and the findings are catastrophic. Drug-related executions nearly doubled in 2025.

At #HRC61, a side event explored the development dimensions of drug policy and the importance of rights-based approaches. Comm'r Ruth Dreifuss delivered closing remarks. 📄 tinyurl.com/mwxj6smy #DrugPolicy #HumanRights

"People are already using AI for harm reduction ... What’s left is the question of how harm can be minimized—and potential benefits maximized—when chatbots step into a role that has always depended on human judgment and human compassion." Brooke Nolan reports:

I grew up in this region of Poland, remember well the first person who died at this crossing -- he was my son's age -- and am continuously heartbroken to watch this crisis evolve with no sane solution in sight.

“Trauma‑informed services, and trauma‑aware society, are essential for Ukraine’s future .. Anniversaries are important moments to remember, but we must not forget that impact of war does not simply end when the fighting stops, which I know we all hope will be soon” www.thejournal.ie/ukraine-war-...

If in NYC for #CSW70, join us at @open-society.bsky.social for a side event “From Punishment to Protection: A Feminist Case for Drug Policy Reform” Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Many jails and prisons around the country don't provide medication treatment for opioid use disorder. Studies show that medication makes recovery more likely and reduces the risk of overdose death. n.pr/49EKBxP

Migrants being blamed for problems they did not cause isn’t new. But the headlines often miss that even in this darkness, acts of solidarity still happen. Gregory Maniatis explains our support of giving communities control when it comes to who comes and how they are welcomed: https://osf.to/3NfJAox

230+ organizations from 40 states are calling on leaders to use $57B in opioid settlement funds the RIGHT way in 2026. New National Roadmap shows how to save lives—not fuel the drug war. #EndOverdose #HealthJustice 📄 New Roadmap: populardemocracyinaction.org/publication/...

Administration so concerned about drugs that it resorts to military strikes in the intl waters sends letters to mental health & addiction providers announcing $2 billion cuts: thttps://www.npr.org/2026/01/14/nx-s1-5677104/trump-administration-letter-terminating-addiction-mental-health-grants

"We can’t bomb our way to fewer overdoses...As the government prioritizes punishment over treatment, violence over health, we need community care and mutual aid more than ever,” said former defense official James Saenz and DPA’s Executive Director Kassandra Frederique. www.salon.com/2025/12/12/w...

The harm reduction funding crisis needs to be addressed as a human rights crisis. It is lives that are at stake when harm reduction services are paused or stopped.  🔴 Watch the recording of our webinar: https://youtu.be/ZsSEdYEuEoM

Over the past three months, the U.S. military has been firing on boats from South America, killing more than 80 people in a campaign the Trump administration says is aimed at drug traffickers. Now, top Republicans have joined Democrats in calling for accountability. Listen to "The Daily."

During years of Duterte's extrajudicial killings of people who were considered drug sellers and users, during a trip to the Philippines, Trump congratulated him on a successful approach to addressing his countries' drug problem. This US policy of extrajudicial killings should not come a surprise.

Researchers surveyed 300 people who inject drugs in Baltimore, and found overwhelming support for the introduction of safe supply (highest among most vulnerable demographics) plus specific preferences for how it should operate. @loganhullinger.bsky.social reports:

In Opinion "Even if Mr. Trump’s muscular approach has found fertile ground across the hemisphere, history suggests that, should officials in Washington overstep, they risk planting the seeds of an anti-American backlash that could outlive the current administration," Brian Winter writes.

Worcester, MA’s approach to rising overdose deaths shows what’s possible when communities bring care directly to people most impacted. Mobile methadone vans, readily available Naloxone, and a local drug-checking program can detect the presence of fentanyl. www.npr.org/2025/11/30/n...

@who.int had an opportunity to correct a historical wrong. It chose not to do so. It is shameful.

This deadly escalation of the war on drugs is a terrible expression of the ongoing fight for the new world order and its new values. And it is terrifying. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...

Guards led him.. to a room where ..noose was fastened around his neck, the knot .. behind his ear to make sure his spine snapped ...Gravity did the rest ..He was 38: old.https://reason.com/2025/10/21/singapore-keeps-hanging-low-level-drug-couriers-but-it-cant-execute-its-way-to-a-drug-free-society/

New @undp.org report makes a strong case for examining how drug policy affects sustainable development, human rights, governance, health & the environment. It underscores that punitive enforcement has largely fueled violence, corruption, incarceration & health crises: www.undp.org/publications...

We are hiring!🚨 We are looking for an individual passionate about drug reform to help with fundraising and organisational support.  Bristol (Hybrid) £25 - 30k FTE Part-time (2-3 days/week) 6 month contract (possibility to extend) Apply by 5th October: www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs/transfo...

"As critics anticipated, without addressing issues of poverty and unemployment, the Taliban's ban was unlikely to hold,” Prof. Julia Buxton tells @helenredmond.bsky.social. “Necessity has driven cultivation shifts to less conspicuous areas ... and displacement into Pakistan.”

Attempts to silence speech undermine our democracy and harm all Americans. We’ve signed a letter with 120+ organizations to stand for this fundamental freedom: osf.to/FundamentalF...

World leaders came together in NY for UNGA80 at a pivotal moment of waning global commitment to multilateralism. It is time to rethink the multilateral system—and reimagine one that adequately protects civilians, upholds human rights, and is grounded in justice, equity, and accountability.

Attacks against @open-society.bsky.social are not about us, but about the United States slowly losing its democracy, as we have seen in different parts of the world. We remain true to our values to promote rights, equity, and justice. My interview with NPR: n.pr/3VE54wr

Our statement in response to reporting that the Trump Administration is directing investigations without evidence into our operations.

A severe overdose-deaths disparity impacting rural Minnesota's Indigenous communities was much reduced—but not eliminated—from 2022-24, new data show. Factors that likely contributed to this trajectory could be under threat, reports Sydney Sauer:

I had the honor of meeting some of the Ukrainian veterans last week. They are inspiring and in need of our assistance. Please take a look at this @npr.org piece.

Rest in Power Louise filtermag.org/remembering-...

“Robert Redford was a celebrated actor, a talented director, and a voice of conscience. He gave us many memorable films over the past half century and then helped others to use the power of the screen to expose injustice and tell the stories of those resisting it.” —George Soros

Poland invoked Article 4 of NATO’s treaty on Wednesday after the alliance’s fighter jets shot down Russian drones that entered its airspace. Article 4 allows member states to start a formal discussion within the alliance about threats to their security. Here's what to know.