News
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Pill Testing Correspondence to All Governments
Harm Reduction Australia has written to the Federal, State & Territory Governments, as well as Opposition Leaders and Shadow Ministers to offer pill testing in their jurisdictions. See the letters here: Pill Testing letter to All Govts & Oppositions – July 2018 […]
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Police & Harm Reduction
Based on the direct experiences of law enforcement officers from across the globe, this report showcases alternatives to common punitive models for policing, and presents recommendations for how to incorporate new, evidence-based harm reduction approaches that aim to increase public safety, public health, and public confidence. […]
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Dutch cut overdose deaths by dispensing pure heroin
Public-health experts in the Netherlands say free distribution is one reason that drug-related deaths are far less common than in the United States. The program also has reduced crime and improved the quality of life for many users, according to Ellen van den Hoogen, who runs the clinic. […]
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Pill testing at festivals has hidden benefits that could reduce drug taking
According to Dr Caldicott, there are two things that change young people’s minds about drug taking: “The idea that what they’re taking could kill them and the idea that they’ve been ripped off.” “We’re able to provide both of those messages,” he said. Research from overseas similarly suggests that pill testing…
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Triple J’s Hack Program Dispels Politician’s Claims That Testing Encourages Drug Use
“People don’t consume drugs not caring if they get hurt. The very fact that they’re testing their drugs means that they very much care if they’re going to get hurt or not, and we find the model of taking a doctor who knows an awful lot about illicit drugs and…
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Why Does the New York State Department of Health Want to Legalize Marijuana?
“The positive effects of a regulated marijuana market in NYS outweigh the potential negative impacts. Areas that may be a cause for concern can be mitigated with regulation and proper use of public education that is tailored to address key populations. Incorporating proper metrics and indicators will ensure rigorous and…
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Bangladesh Drug War Claims Hundreds Of Lives
The violent anti-drugs campaign in Bangladeshhas claimed more than 200 lives, according to human rights advocates. “It is unprecedented in Bangladesh. So many people have been killed in such a short period of time,” Sheepa Hafiza, executive director of Ain o Salish Kendra, told Agence France-Presse. […]
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Soz Conservatives, ‘ABC Fact Check’ Says Claims Pill-Testing Leads To More Deaths Are False
“There is no evidence that pill-testing results in festival attendees and partygoers taking more drugs and dying as a consequence”, researcher Claudia Long tells Hack. In fact, Claudia reckons the opposite is way more likely. “There is evidence to suggest that pill-testing can make some users more likely to dispose…
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Toronto medical official calls for decriminalizing drugs as opioid overdoses skyrocket in Canada
With opioid-related overdoses and deaths reaching record levels in Canada, the top medical official in Toronto is calling for the decriminalization of all drugs as part of a strategy to treat illicit drug use as a public health and social issue, not a criminal one. In a report released Monday,…
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There’s No Rational Way to Justify America’s Drug LawsL
People assume a medical committee sat down to consider which recreational drugs were the safest and least addictive, and tyyhis wise group decided alcohol and tobacco should be legal, while marijuana and everything else shouldn’t. That’s not what happened. […]