Position Statement: 26 June 2015 – International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
On 26 June 2015, the “International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking,” the Middle East and North Africa Harm Reduction Association (MENAHRA) continues in its determination to assert that drug use is not a crime to be dealt with through prosecution and imprisonment, but it is a health problem that requires follow-up and care. MENAHRA urges governments and decision makers to consider drug use as a health problem experienced by people who need to make their voices heard and who should enjoy equal human rights and not be subjugated to discrimination and marginalization in our communities.
Under this context, MENAHRA is coordinating, within the Middle East and North Africa region, the international, “Support! Don’t Punish.”campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness around the risks that are caused by the criminalization of drug users and the need to reduce the risks and provide services that respect the human right of people who use drugs.
MENAHRA also supports the right of people who use drugs to access health care services which are currently only available in small amounts. MENAHRA also supports harm reduction strategies, which are absent from most strategic plans, which include needle and syringe exchanges and clean equipment that can reduce the risks for people who use drugs and protect them from transmitted infections and the consequences of sharing needles on their health.
MENAHRA also supports Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) which is another type of treatment to reduce drug-related harm. OST has been shown to reduce the rates of overdose and the occurrence of risk behaviors (such as sharing needles) as it helps them avoid the risk of contracting Hepatitis B and C, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI).
Therefore, MENAHRA strongly urges policy-makers to include harm reduction strategies in the national health strategic plans of their countries, support drug user rights in treatment and integration into society, and support the provision of necessary care and requirements of a decent living because the heightened risks can no longer be ignored. The time has come to abandon the misconceptions and prioritize the health concepts in order to insure the well-being of people who use drugs, their families and communities and treat them like any person in society.
Elie Aaraj
Executive Director
MENAHRA
