Niamh Eastwood

A Historic Vote at the CND: Colombia Challenges the Global Drug Control System - TalkingDrugs At CND, Colombia made waves by pushing for a resolution to review the international drug control system, a first in its history.

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

Keir Starmer to unveil drastic disability benefit cuts despite opposition Changes could deny benefits to people who need help to wash or to remember to go to the toilet

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...

Starmer decries ‘worst of all worlds’ benefits system ahead of deep cuts PM expected to announce billions in savings from personal independence payment, the main disability benefit

Tax the rich!

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Spain’s Decriminalisation: Decades of Quiet Innovation - TalkingDrugs Spain's drug decriminalisation system has been slowly improving over the decades, supporting people who use drugs across the nation.

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...

Documenting the early impact of the US foreign aid directives on harm reduction programming Aid cuts disrupt harm reduction services and imperil lives — share your experience to bring the evidence to the upcoming UN CND.

🚨 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...

Thank you Cait 😘

Updated harms assessment of ketamine: commissioning letter

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 The Thistle in Glasgow aims to save lives by providing a supervised environment in ‘Europe’s drug deaths capital’

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...

‘Free and impartial’ addiction helplines paid secret commission by rehabs Advertising regulator reprimands services that claim to offer unbiased advice but then direct people to partner facilities

@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...

UK to open its first safe drug consumption room amid soaring deaths The Thistle in Glasgow aims to save lives by providing a supervised environment in ‘Europe’s drug deaths capital’

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...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Province repeals public use law previously blocked by B.C. Supreme Court for irreparable harm   - Canadian Drug Policy Coalition Joint Statement from the Harm Reduction Nurses Association, the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition and Pivot Legal Society  ​​xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, sḵwx̱wú7mesh & səlilwətaɬ lands Vancouver, BC |​ December 20, 20...

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

Outcry as SNP unveils soft-touch 'Charter of Rights' for drug users The SNP was yesterday accused of 'doubling down' on its 'soft-touch approach' to drugs after a new 'Charter of Rights' for users was announced.

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

ISSDP The International Society for the Study of Drug Policy

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

Types of drug policy frameworks slide with Lauren Porter in front of the screen. Lauren is a white female researcher from USA who worked in Hungary at the time

A opening screen of a talk called Hungary's anti - drug strategy a public health evaluation

This graph xeax

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

Rescue Mainline: Email with us again! - Mainline Next Thursday, the House of Representatives will vote on the fate of Mainline. Save Mainline and call on MPs to vote for the amendment.

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.