Excellent analysis from Dejusticia of last week’s extraordinary meeting of Commission on Narcotic Drugs! With the USA objecting to language around ‘gender’ & ‘biodiversity’, the consensus is now broken, & there maybe opportunity to review the drug treaties! www.talkingdrugs.org/a-historic-v...

Please follow and support @crips-against-cuts.bsky.social National day of action THIS SATURDAY 22 March

Starmer in Times today ‘The rising benefits bill is “devastating for public finances” & has “wreaked a terrible human cost’. Maybe address lack of progressive tax instead. Failing to tax the wealthy drives extreme inequality which ACTUALLY creates a terrible human cost & wrecks public finances

Really angry about this! PIP literally helps people with disabilities live their lives including being able to work. The way this is being framed is disingenuous there is nothing ‘moral’ about this plan! www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Tax the rich! www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Excellent piece on Spain’s drug decriminalisation model & the expansion of harm reduction from our colleagues at the fabulous Metzineres www.talkingdrugs.org/spains-decri...

🚨 IMPORTANT — The US government's reckless cuts to foreign aid threaten #HarmReduction globally. @inpud.bsky.social collects data to present before the intn'l community at #CND68. Fill the survey to relay impact on your activities & share with relevant networks!

Just gave evidence to UN Cttee on Economic, Social & Cultural Rights on the UK’s crisis of drug related deaths. Read our submission to the Cttee submitted jointly with our friends @harmreductionintl.bsky.social @idpc.bsky.social & the drug user led group RATS. www.release.org.uk/publications...

Read @releasedrugs.bsky.social joint submission with @inquest-org.bsky.social & @robralphs.bsky.social on drugs in prison. Really proud of this piece, calls for decriminalisation, decarceration, harm reduction & transformative justice. www.release.org.uk/publications...

The @ukhomeoffice.bsky.social letter to ACMD asking if Ketamine should be reclassified to Class A ‘use in…people, aged 16-24 years, has increased by 231% since March 2013”. Ket was made a Class B drug in 2014. I don’t understand how they don’t see it! 🤦‍♀️ www.gov.uk/government/p...

UK to open its first safe drug consumption room amid soaring deaths Welcome news, tho political cowardice has caused yrs of delays, costing 100s of lives As @niamhrelease.bsky.social notes, it's "shameful these facilities are not being opened across the UK” www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

@shantidas.bsky.social Observer report on ASA’s ruling this week about the misleading practices of some private drug treatment brokers, including a short quote from myself www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

Coverage of Glasgow’s drug consumption room due to open next month (hopefully!). Comment from me highlighting the need for these facilities across the UK to address the crisis of drug related deaths. (Would tag others but function doesn’t seem to work!). www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

Brilliant news BC Government repeals public drug use bill which would have recriminalised people who use drugs who don’t have private spaces to consume! Congrats to our friends & colleagues at Pivot Legal & CDPC & others 💪 drugpolicy.ca/for-immediat...

We are delighted to be hosting the London Joint Working Group on Substance Use & Hep C’s meeting to share the findings of the fabulous @pwud-pride.bsky.social research on safer inhalation pipes

Unsurprising nonsense from DM, demonstrating a total lack of understanding about fundamental human rights. People who use drugs, like all ppl, are entitled to basic rights. The Scottish Govt recognises realising ppls rights can improve health & social needs. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

Such a rich & thoughtful discussions today at the launch of the Charter of Rights for People affected Substance Use. Enjoyed discussing decriminalisation, social & economic rights & broader human rights as part of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights panel

Really honoured to be part of the organising committee for this year’s Int Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP) in Manchester. Hosted by Manchester Met (who madly made me a visiting professor ☺️). Call for abstracts opened www.issdp.org

At launch of Charter of Rights for People affected by substance use. First Minister discusses need for ppl who use drugs to be listened to, for their rights to be respected & to be treated with dignity. @releasedrugs.bsky.social @globalcdp.bsky.social @idpc.bsky.social @harmreductionintl.bsky.social

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan... New report from the Global Commission on Drug Policy reinforcing pùblic health, decrim and regulation in place of the failed & futile War on Drugs response. @niamhrelease.bsky.social @idpc.bsky.social @kirstensdf.bsky.social

Excellent thread on the CSJ report

Excellent insights from Zaved Mahmood from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human rights highlighting how drug policies must be grounded in human rights, emphasises the role of the Guidelines on HR & DP @unaids.bsky.social @undp.bsky.social @who.int

A terrifyjng talk from Lauren Porter on the consequences of closing needle exchange in Budapest (funding gone, hcv/hiv testing down and cases up, public opinion change, drug pattern change, health declines, increase in criminal sanctions in severity/#, increased marginalization)- horrific #EHRC2024

Mainline has been supporting and fighting for the rights of people who use drugs in the Netherlands for decades. Their public funding is now at risk - meaning their org would disappear. We're helping them fight to keep their funding - here's how you can too 👇 mainline.nl/en/rescue-ma...

As Hungary defunded NSP & declared a new war on drugs in 2013, the number of ppl accessing treatment fell. NSPs are great for connecting ppl with services. And if you target & criminalise ppl using drugs then you are actively deterring them from accessing treatment. Excellent from Lauren Porter

@pwud-pride.bsky.social presenting on the brilliant Safer Inhalation Pipe Project. This work is vital, there is so little to engage ppl into harm reduction & this is a serious step in the right direction! #ehrc2024

Also @matsouthwell.bsky.social on here - you should definitely follow him #harmreductionhero

Great session on stimulant harm reduction at #EHRC2014 with @matsouthwell.bsky.social @unodc.bsky.social importance of intersectional approach & working with community partners is a fundamental take away!

If you haven’t already follow the fabulously brilliant @pwud-pride.bsky.social 💪 her research is breaking down barriers for people who use drugs. From safer harm reduction equipment to peoples rights in treatment, Magdalena’s work is some of the most important happening right now.

Crack curious or full blown #harmreduction stimulant aficionado? Come to my talk today at #EHRC2024 on safe inhalation pipe provision!! Not in Warsaw? Contribute to debate & share here what you think about their prohibition under UK law. Fyi harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

The brilliant Marie Nougier from @idpc.bsky.social discusses #drug #decriminalisation across the world. Over a third of the 59 countries that have implemented some form of decrim have done so in the last 10 years #EHRC24

It is with great sadness that we share the news that Dave Bewley-Taylor, a longstanding fellow of the Transnational Institute, passed away on 20 November 2024. www.tni.org/en/article/d...

🧵from @releasedrugs.bsky.social on recent paper analysing effectiveness of criminalisation in Sweden - to no one’s surprise CLS response caused more harm. Great to see more evidence that criminalising ppl who use drugs is damaging especially in the context of Sweden its ‘drug free’ world ambitions!

Hey all Release is now here - give us a follow for all things drugs, harm reduction, sex worker rights, housing justice, abolition. ‼️ will be lots of rants about harmful policies & practices Follow @releasedrugs.bsky.social

Via WEDINOS.org site: Very worryingly 8th example of isotonitazepyne (n-pyrrolidino isotonitazene), one of the most dangerous nitazenes seen so far, bought in powder form (via dark web?) by somebody in Newcastle-upon-Tyne last week. Danger of accidental overdose as too hard to judge non-fatal dose.

Friends at TJC are seeking support to stop the execution of Singaporean Masoud Rahimi. He was 20 when he was charged with a capital drug offence. His family is appealing for clemency from President Tharman. More here www.instagram.com/p/DC2GeJ_zO1... Petition here www.change.org/p/people-s-p...

Performative politics at play again! ASBOs didn’t go away - ASB, Crime & Policing Act 2014 provides cops & council’s with lots of powers. These powers include orders that continue to target those on the margins - homeless folks, ppl who use drugs, kids in parks! 1/2 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Big thanks @ourmoh.bsky.social for hosting @releasedrugs.bsky.social folks on Friday. ‘How to Survive the Apocalypse’ is a beautiful & thoughtful exhibition. Telling stories of unhoused folks through the pandemic it’s a really important work, go before it closes next week museumofhomelessness.org

Reminder deadline for applying is 5pm Monday (25/11)

International agencies seem more concerned about UK drug deaths than UK govt & most of UK media. UN CESCR asking Gov what it is doing to address drug deaths inc. if any steps taken to review criminalisation of ppl who use drugs as part of its broader UK review tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/...

I’m absolutely gutted to learn of the passing of Prof. David Bewley-Taylor. He was one of my oldest friends in the field of drug policy. We first met in 1999 and grew old together in this movement. He was one of the kindest and most giving souls. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends.💔

The @fiannafail manifesto includes a call to decriminalise drug possession for personal use. This follows what the Citizens Assembly endorsed, along with groups that help drug users. #GE24

These brave doctors are following history. We have always been forced to use civil disobedience to save lives: supervised injection, narcan, needle, distribution, safe supply. Unjust laws are meant to be broken. Respect. www.timescolonist.com/local-news/v...

Great to see this published the first of the outputs from the iHOST Project. Great collaborative work with colleagues across the UK incl. @jscottuob.bsky.social @niamhrelease.bsky.social @danlewer.bsky.social

📣 Release is recruiting a research lead for a new 4 yr project (Seriously thrilled about this). Working with unhoused folks we want to explore how housing policies must be inclusive of people who use drugs. www.release.org.uk/vacancy-rese... Deadline 25 Nov (excited this is my first post here)