On the occasion of World Drug Day and the Global Day of Action for the #SupportDontPunish Campaign, Assembly rapporteur Hannah Bardell (United Kingdom, NR) and rapporteur for opinion Joseph O’Reilly (Ireland, EPP/CD) called for European drug policies to be consistent with human rights standards and public health.
“We join the international call to improve knowledge on the effects of drug-related measures. It is time for greater solidarity, sustainability and care for the most vulnerable. We urge member States to review their response to the drug problem by using inclusive and evidence-based methods of assessment.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the discrimination that people who use drugs face daily as a result of drug policies and practices in many countries. It is vital that adequate socio-economic support, healthcare and harm reduction services remain accessible for all. Places of detention are particularly high-risk environments and alternatives to incarceration must therefore be used as much as possible.”
“The recent health crisis has shed a new light on the pressing need to provide equal and effective protection for people who use drugs,” they stated.
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