Drug Abuse

 

Pubdate: Tue, 03 Feb 2009

Source: Guardian, The (UK)

Copyright: 2009 Guardian News and Media Limited

Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian/

Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/175

Author: Duncan Campbell and Afua Hirsch

Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)

Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?137 (Needle Exchange)

 

RIFT WITH EU AS US STICKS TO BUSH LINE ON 'WAR ON DRUGS'

 

A rift between the EU and US over how to deal with global trafficking in

illicit drugs is undermining international efforts to agree a new UN

strategy. The confrontation has been heightened because of suggestions

that the US negotiating team is pushing a hardline, Bush administration

"war on drugs", in contrast to the EU position which supports "harm

reduction" measures such as needle exchanges.

 

Talks are said to be at breaking point in Vienna where representatives

have gathered to hammer out a new UN declaration in time for a signing

ceremony at a drugs summit in mid-March. Negotiations, which have been

going on for three months, are due to resume tomorrow with no indication

of a breakthrough.

 

At the heart of the dispute is whether a commitment to "harm reduction"

should be included in the UN declaration of intent, which is published

every 10 years. In 1998 the declaration was "a drug-free world - we can do

it".

 

EU countries, backed by Brazil and other Latin American countries,

Australia and New Zealand, say even with the best of intentions the world

will not be drug-free in 10 years and some commitment to tackling HIV and

addiction through needle exchange programmes and methadone and other drugs

should be included.

 

The US position, as maintained throughout the Bush years, is that such

inclusion sends the wrong message and must be resisted. President Obama

has already lifted the ban on federal funding for needle exchanges and is

known to have a more liberal approach to the issue, but the US negotiating

team is opposed to varying the "drug-free" strategies of the past. The US

is backed by Russia and Japan.

 

Governments at the talks acknowledge that no consensus has been reached.

"Negotiations are currently complex but we are hopeful that a satisfactory

conclusion can be achieved," a Home Office spokesman said yesterday.

 

Drugs policy experts expressed concern at the stalemate. "It is troubling

that, despite clear global evidence of the effectiveness of harm reduction

in reducing HIV and its acceptance in every other UN body, that the US is

still resisting its inclusion," said Mike Trace, chair of the

International Drug Policy Consortium and former UK deputy drugs tsar. "We

are sure the incoming administration will take a different view but they

will have to move fast or this will be the position for the next 10

years."

 

Danny Kushlick of Transform, the British drugs reform charity, said talks

were at a crucial stage. "The race is now on to change the instructions

from US officials before the ink dries on the previous administration's

line," he said. "The implications of changing the political line is

enormous for those who have suffered under the US administration's refusal

to support basic harm reduction measures."

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Distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in

receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

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MAP posted-by: Doug

 

 

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