News
-
More than 100 killed since Philippine police returned to Duterte’s drug war
More than 100 drug suspects have been killed since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the police to rejoin his “war on drugs”, an official said Saturday (Mar 3). Duterte was elected in 2016 on a promise to eradicate drugs, and launched an unprecedented campaign in which – rights activists allege…
-
Trump Suggests Executing Drug Dealers to Solve Opioid Crisis
“Some countries have a very, very tough penalty — the ultimate penalty,” Trump said at a White House summit on the opioid crisis. “And, by the way, they have much less of a problem. If you shoot one person, you get life in prison,” he added. “These people kill 1,000,…
-
Putting Pressure on the Philippines, Activists Call Out Drug War Human Rights Abuses at D.C. Embassy Demo
Protesters gathered at the Philippine embassy in D.C. Wednesday to call for an end to the drug war and freedom for a leading Duterte critic. Since President Rodrigo Duterte took office in June 2016, police and mysterious “vigilantes” have killed more than 16,000 alleged drug users and sellers in a…
-
The ‘Methadone madness’ story run by a current affairs program was highly irresponsible, writes Anthony Tassone
This disgraceful piece ignores official guidance, veers away from interviewing any health or medical expert and alarmingly and possibly deliberately uses the term ‘meth’ for convenience and further shock effect. The potential consequences of such a story could be patients reluctant to seek treatment and further misinformation being peddled in…
-
The International Criminal Court challenges Duterte’s drug war
Fatou Bensouda, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), announced that there would be a preliminary examination on extrajudicial killings in the context of police anti-drug operations. This is an important step forward for the many victims, advocates and international supporters who argue that justice is not possible…
-
Black Tar, Black Markets: Denver’s Opioid Crisis and the Search for a Progressive Fix
People were coming to the Denver Public Library to find a private place to inject drugs such as heroin away from the eyes of police. The needles were found in books, furniture, and on the lawn, and a dead man was found in the bathroom in February 2017. The Library,…
-
Let Cities Open Safe Injection Sites
Critics of such sites raise legitimate concerns about normalizing drug use that could be fatal. But so far, the wealth of available evidence shows two things: Most of America’s past policies have failed catastrophically, and the regions that have tried these sites have saved people. States and other cities should follow…
-
‘Game Changing’ Medicinal Cannabis Laws: An interview with MLC Adam Searle
An Australian politician has finally drafted a law which seeks to provide access to medicinal cannabis and is broad enough to get real product into the hands of patients who desperately need it. Leader of the NSW Opposition in the Legislative Council Adam Searle introduced the Medicinal Cannabis (Compassionate Access) Bill…
-
Prison Drug Treatment Cuts Statewide Opioid Overdose Deaths by 12%
A study of the six months before and after the programme’s implementation has shown overwhelming reductions in post-incarceration overdose deaths, lowering them by 61 per cent, from 26 overdose deaths of recently-incarcerated people before the program started to just nine after implementation. This accounts for a 12 per cent drop…
-
Prof David Nutt: ‘It’s irrational to deny people access to LSD’
Outspoken UK drug expert David Nutt argues for regulated access to any drug less harmful than alcohol, including cannabis and Ecstasy. […]