LEAPH 2023

On 19-20 May 2023, we attended The European Conference on Law Enforcement & Public Health organised by the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association in cooperation with Umeå University’s Police Education Unit in Umeå, Sweden. The conference addressed multiple intersections between law enforcement and public health areas, such as drugs and drug use, harm reduction, socio-economic vulnerabilities, sexual and gender-based harassment, trauma, or mental health. The highlight of the conference was the sizable representation of police officers and researchers from Scotland, who shared the positive experiences and successes of their public health approach to policing being implemented to address the skyrocketing opioid overdose deaths in the country.

Before the conference, Correlation’s Iga Jeziorska participated in the workshop Law Enforcement, Harm Reduction and Drug Policy. On Friday, she was engaged as an expert in the Panel discussion on decriminalisation chaired by Neil Woods from The Law Enforcement Action Partnership, What does drug policy reform mean – to police and to the community? along with Julia Ryland (LEAP) and Tuukka Tammi (THL). On Saturday morning, Iga gave a presentation that challenged the idea of the role of evidence in (drug) policy making, which stirred a lively debate among police officers from England, Scotland, Norway, The Netherlands, Ukraine, Moldova, and others, on the law enforcement performance indicators.

 

 

Shaping Scotland’s Drug Policy Conference

The Scottish Drugs Forum’s conference Shaping Scotland’s Drug Policy took place in May in Glasgow and focused on the lessons of responding to drug-related issues over the past 35 years, reflected on the current situation and looked at future challenges. Katrin Schiffer, C-EHRN’s director has also attended the conference, giving a talk titled European Drug Policies: Myths, facts and potential impact. Katrin provided an overview of the EU Drug Policy and its impact, the role of civil society in drug policy and the challenges in implementing a balanced drug policy approach.

After the conference, SDF organised a reception in honour of David Liddell, who has been SDF’s CEO for more than 30 years. David has cooperated with C-EHRN since 2007 and is a committed colleague and friend, who always advocated for the rights of People Who Use Drugs and their meaningful involvement in the development and implementation of services and drug policy. A valued friend and champion for harm reduction, he will be missed in Scotland, but also at the European level. David is followed up by Kirsten Horsburgh, a worthy successor who will continue the legacy, embracing its gains, but also breaking new ground.

Interview – Drug Consumption Rooms in European Cities

Roberto Pérez Gayo, our policy officer, has been asked to talk about drug consumption rooms in European cities in the Urban Trends section of Politico Europe’s Global Policy Lab.

Interested in the conversation? You can find it here.

New Publication: Contribution from the Civil Society Forum on Drugs to enhance the gender perspective into EU drug policy

The Civil Society Forum on Drugs (CSFD), the expert committee of the European Commission in the field of drugs, has identified the enhancement of a gender perspective in EU drug policy as one of the emerging issues of drug policies. In contrast with the previous EU Drug Strategy and Action Plan, the current one seems to incorporate a gender-sensitive approach to all aspects of EU drug policies, which is a significant advancement. However, the recommendations contained in this analysis can help enhance the gender perspectives in the EU drug policy documents. Read the full analysis here.

Image: Freepik.com

E-learning module on ChemSex for addiction professionals: the second phase of the ‘Learn Addiction’ project

E-learning module on ChemSex for addiction professionals: the second phase of the ‘Learn Addiction’ project

On 20th and 21st April 2023, delegates from the six organisations from six EU countries participating in the second phase of the ‘Learn Addiction’ project met in Berlin.

In this second phase of the ‘Learn Addiction’ project (February 2022 – January 2024), the six participating organisations are developing a e-learning module on ChemSex. This was decided based on the results from the European survey that the project partners carried out in 2021 to identify new training needs among drug professionals in the EU. 727 professionals from 24 countries participated in the survey and 48% asked for training on ChemSex.

During the meeting in Berlin, the delegates from the six partner organisations evaluated the feedback from addiction professionals from six EU countries who have been testing, during the last months, the first version of the online course on ChemSex. Based on their feedback, the project partners will implement the necessary improvements before the final publication of the new e-learning module on ChemSex, in December 2023, in seven languages (English, Spanish, Slovenian, Portuguese, Dutch, German and Czech) at www.learnaddiction.eu.

This second phase of the project ‘Learn Addiction’ is an initiative of UNAD -The Spanish Network of Addiction Organisations – in collaboration with: UTRIP -Institute for Research and Development- (Slovenia), DIANOVA (Portugal), SANANIM (Czech Republic), De Regenboog Groep (The Netherlands), and DAH -The German AIDS Service Organisation- (Germany). The project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

__________________

The ‘Learn Addiction’ project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. The content of this press release is the sole responsibility of the project partners.

For further information on the ‘Learn Addiction’ project, please, contact us at info@learnaddiction.eu.
Find out more at www.learnaddiction.eu and follow us on:
Twitter: @AddictionLearn
Facebook: @LearnAddictionProject

EU Civil Society Forum on HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and Tuberculosis presents its Joint Statement at the EU Health Policy Platform Annual Meeting

The EU Health Policy Platform Annual Meeting took place on the 19th of April. The event was a hybrid conference with nearly 300 participants in Luxembourg and online. The first part of the event was dedicated to showcasing the Joint Statements prepared by the 2022 Thematic Networks, which culminate several months of exchange and research, each in a particular area of public health.

During the event, the Coordination Team of CSF on HIV/AIDS, VH & TB presented its Joint Statement, which explores outstanding challenges and good practices specific to dealing with these conditions. Special attention was brought to the importance of nurturing collaboration among stakeholders to ensure continuity of prevention, treatment and care and better quality of life for all people living with or most affected by HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis (especially drug-resistant) and sexually transmitted infections, including an adapted response for displaced and mobile people and other migrant populations. The statement also highlights how HIV, viral hepatitis (VH) and STIs are increasingly becoming concentrated in key and vulnerable populations and provides recommendations on how to overcome the stigma and discrimination against these key populations that are often at the intersection of multiple axes of marginalisation.

Additionally, three other Joint statements were presented:

  • “Organisations across sectors call for stronger action against racism and discrimination to achieve health equity”, by DisQo Anti-Discrimination & Health Equity – European Public Health Alliance, advocates for the improvement of public health by proactively eliminating institutional, structural, and interpersonal racism and discrimination that impact physical and mental health inequalities. The Joint Statement outlines five key priorities for constructively, collaboratively, and respectfully addressing the issue.
  • “Mental Health in All Policies”, by Mental Health Europe, emphasises the impacts of public policies on mental health determinants, strives to reduce mental health inequities, aims to highlight the opportunities offered by mental health to different policy areas, and reinforces the accountability of policymakers for mental health impacts.
  • Lastly, the Brunel Centre and Health Action International presented “Navigating Health Inequalities in the EU through Artificial Intelligence”, which considers how we may leverage AI-driven technologies to improve healthcare and wider (e.g. productivity) outcomes and reduce inequalities in the European Union (EU) whilst also ensuring that such inequalities are not augmented or magnified or even that new iterations of inequalities are not [re]created.

You can find the statements and presentations here.

Webinar Report – Civil Society Forum on HIV/AIDS, Hep & TB

 

The report from the webinar ‘Standards of CARE: HIV, VH, and TB – Good Practices and Ensuring Prevention & Care for People on the move’ is now available.

 

Since its creation in 2005, the EU Civil Society Forum on HIV/AIDS (hereafter CSF) and since 2017,
the EU CSF on HIV/AIDS, TB and viral hepatitis has been instrumental in providing and sharing critical
information and evidence, in undertaking joint actions, and creating synergies between its members.

 

The report contains current standards of care, challenges in implementation, good practice examples of implementation, and cross-border healthcare.

 

Read the full report here.

One Year of War in Ukraine

One year ago, Russia launched Europe’s biggest war since WWII. The toll of human suffering has been staggering – thousands have been killed, and more than 8 million Ukrainians fled abroad. Its social, econonomic and health effects have been felt in nearly everyone’s life.

However, conflicts don’t impact all people equally. War and violence exacerbate structural inequalities and discrimination. This last year, people who use drugs and other marginalised communities in Europe have disproportionately experienced its negative consequences. Equally, harm reduction organisations have been put to the test.

On this day, we remember and mourn all the victims of Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine and pay tribute to Ukrainian’s resilience and courage. Equally, we join governments, institutions, organisations and individuals across the world in demanding the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Russia from the territory of Ukraine.

Until this moment comes, we will continue to #StandWithUkraine and work with our members, partners and friends to ensure that the health, safety and livelihood needs of people who use drugs and other underserved communities are met.

BOOST

 

On the 13th & 14th of February, with 45 participants from more than 20 organisations, the first meeting of the BOOST Project took place in the Fondazione Villa Maraini in Rome.

The main aim of the BOOST project is to enhance the implementation of high-quality community-based & community-led communicable disease services as part of a comprehensive, people-centred and integrated harm reduction approach. To ahieve its goal, over the next three years, together with our partners we will focus on four key areas:

INFORM – providing a collection of up-to-date information and data on current practice and quality of community-based and community-led services.
IMPROVE – supporting the organisation of capacity building activities in the field of communicable diseases, indluding the use of digital tools.
SUPPORT – enhancing the scale-up of integrated community-based good practices building up existing models of good practice.
CONNECT & ACT – strenghtening and consolidating existing civil society networks and fostering advocacy interventions for the improved implementation comunity-based and community-led good practices oriented towards the needs of people who use drugs at European, national and local levels.

BOOST Project is founded by the EU4Health programme of the European Union, under the Action Grants to support the implementation of best practices in community-based services for HIV, AIDS, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections. Partners include the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association, EuroNPUD, Free Clinic, Podane Ruce, LILA Milano, Asociacion Bienestar y Desarrolo, IGTP/ICO, ISGlobal, Foundazinone Villa Maraini. Supporting the projects work, the project with count with Scientific Advisory Board and the collaboration of organizations such as DPNSEE, ReGeneration, ARAS Foundation, AIDS Action Europe, among others.

Hommage to Béatrice Stambul

“Treat people as they are, without judgment or stigmatisation, recognise the central role and expertise of users, promote pragmatic actions.”

 


Last Wednesday, 8th of February 2023, Beatrice Stambul left us after a long illness in her home city Marseille. All her family and colleagues surrounded her.

Beatrice was a strong activist in harm reduction, a friend to many of us, and an exceptional professional. Psychiatrist and social activist at the same time, her profession was what she called a ‘doctor of the soul’. For many decades, she dedicated her life to making the world a more just and fairer world for the people she felt were left behind: the communities at the margins of society or forgotten in complex global conflicts.

Beatrice was a warm and compassionate person. Her career and professional life took place in Marseille and France, where she passionately advocated for better care services and humane drug policies. Beatrice was one of the leading figures in the French harm reduction and policy movement. In 2013 she was awarded a Legion d’Honeur.

Beatrice was always near and involved in many harm reduction actions: at the beginning of all the HIV/HR services, from the low threshold mobile needle exchange and methadone programs with Medecins du Monde, to the creation of the first people who use drugs organisation, ASUD (Auto-Support des Usagers de Drogues). Also, she was a universal activist at an international level who had been involved in many initiatives. From the very first needle exchange program bus in Russia, in Saint Petersburg in the mid-1990s, to her commitment to developing access to methadone in Myanmar, Marocco and other countries.

Breatiz left too early while actively pushing forward to open the long-awaited drug consumption room in her city. This remains a project for us to complete. We all – colleagues, physicians, patients, researchers, people who use drugs -, ‘a family’ to whom she dedicated all her life lost a hero. Yet, the fight continues.

She taught us never to give up. We will miss her.

Perrine Roux & John-Peter Kools


More information:

“Marseilles Bears a Heavy Stigma of Drug Trafficking and Use” – An Interview with Beatrice Stambul in Drug Reporter.
The death of Béatrice Stambul, psychiatrist and pioneer in harm reduction in News in France.
La Fédération Addiction rend hommage à Béatrice Stambul