On a snapshot day in 2019, over 50,000 clients received pharmacotherapy treatment for their opioid dependence at 2,940 dosing points across Australia. There were 3,395 authorised prescribers of opioid pharmacotherapy drugs.

Since 2016, more than 10,300 Canadians have died of an apparent opioid-related overdose, with the majority involving fentanyl or fentanyl analogs

This report presents the latest findings on drug-related hospital emergencies from a network of sentinel hospitals across Europe. Almost 24 000 emergency presentations were recorded at 32 sentinel hospitals over the first 4 years of the project. The data reveal that the substances most commonly involved in acute drug toxicity presentations include heroin, cocaine and cannabis. Prescription medicines are frequently reported. The report also sheds light on other aspects of drug-related emergencies such as clinical features, geographical variation, outcomes, demographics and time patterns.

These guidelines provide the rationale, steps, procedures, roles, and responsibilities for the operation of the EU Early Warning System. They reflect the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1920/2006 (as amended) and Council Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA (as amended) with respect to information exchange and the early warning system, as well as for the initial report, risk assessment, and control measures.

The drug use landscape is dynamic and changing. Changes in public attitudes and laws towards drug use have occurred in an increasing number of countries. Global drug production and consumption are increasing as are the risks and harms to health, while new substances continue to emerge. This Series focuses on opioids, cannabinoids, stimulants, and new psychoactive substances. The Series authors review the evidence on the epidemiology of drug use and related harms and interventions (treatment and policies) to address them. They highlight issues that are likely to become increasingly important in the next decade.

Mortality in high-risk groups such as people who use illicit drugs is often expressed in relative terms such as standardised ratios. These measures are highest for diseases that are rare in the general population, such as hepatitis C, and may understate the importance of common long-term conditions.

There were 4,359 deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales in 2018, the highest number and the highest annual increase (16%) since the time series began in 1993. (ONS 2019)

The IAS decision to hold the AIDS Conference in the United States shows a disregard for their own organisational values, which include an explicit focus on human rights and inclusivity, whilst encouraging meaningful engagement of people living with HIV and key populations.

The first-ever Canadian guidelines for prescribing injectable opioid agonist treatment (iOAT) were released today. The clinical guideline provides optimal strategies for delivering iOAT with prescription heroin and hydromorphone for people with severe opioid use disorder.

This technical report focuses on an elimination barometer for viral hepatitis to help countries assess progress towards eliminating hepatitis C and B among people who inject drugs (PWID).

This provides an update on drug-related deaths in Europe, presenting and analysing the latest data on and trends in drug-induced deaths in the European Union, Norway and Turkey. It draws on contributions from specialists from these countries, as well as on information provided by European countries in the annual reporting exercise to the agency.

The following report has been prepared within the framework of the viral hepatitis-related activities developed by Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network (C-EHRN).

To reach the ambitious targets to eliminate hepatitis C, community centres, harm reduction and low threshold services have a crucial role to play in linking potential patients to testing and treatment and – even more so – to TREAT patients on-the-spot.

Today is the International Day to remember our loved ones who have died as a result of the so-called war on drugs. They have died as a result of their unnecessary criminalisation; they have died as a result of prohibition. It is criminalisation and prohibition that make drugs so dangerous. It is the society in which we live that shows such callous indifference to the deaths of so many.

As the epidemic of opioid use in the United States continues to shift from prescription opioids to illicit drugs, more people living with opioid use disorder are encountering the criminal justice system.

Equipment used by people who inject drugs (PWID) either has a needle which is fixed to the syringe or can be detached and replaced. Detachable low dead space syringes (LDSS) have been developed, with less space between the needle and plunger (referred to as dead space) than traditional detachable equipment. This equipment can help protect PWID from harm of infection as less blood is transferred if equipment is shared.

This report presents the results of an innovative method for gathering information on the substances used by people who inject drugs. In this pilot study, chemical analysis of the contents of used syringes collected from exchange sites reveals the drugs and drug combinations injected in the six participating European cities. This approach can provide local and timely information that can be used for city-level monitoring and interventions.

As the UK Home Office issues its first licence for a pill testing scheme based in Weston-super-Mare, Tony Sheldon considers two decades of Dutch experience in offering such services, which aim to reduce harm among people who take illegal drugs

The impact of drug policy on children of incarcerated parents in Latin America and the Caribbean

This report was produced by APMG Health, Inc. for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, under Purchase Order 20177290. The opinions presented here belong to the author, and do not represent the Global Fund’s official position.

An independent research organisation based in London, UK. runs the largest drug survey in the world this is its 8th annual report

Supervised drug consumption rooms (sometimes referred to as ‘safe injecting rooms’ or ‘overdose prevention centres’) allow people who use illicit drugs to con- sume substances whilst under the supervision of trained staff.

Opioid substitution therapy is a safe and effective approach for suppressing illicit opioid use. Helping to guide optimal provision, this review investigates the relative effects of methadone and buprenorphine on the rate of mortality over time

HARM REDUCTION, DECRIMINALIZATION AND ZERO DISCRIMINATION FOR PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS

PISCATAWAY, NJ - In American adolescents and young adults, death rates from drug poisoning, particularly from opioids, have sharply increased over the last 10 years, according to new research in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Responding to the harms associated with drug use and the illicit drug trade is one of the greatest social policy challenges of our time. All aspects of this challenge have human rights implications.

The Civil Society Task Force on drugs (CSTF) conducted an online consultation of 461 Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) respondents from 100 countries and territories in the fall of 2018.

Global access to pain relief displays stark inequality. While the US is suffering from an overdose epidemic, the plight of much of the rest of the world is hidden. The majority of people needing pain relief live in poorer countries where access is severely lacking, leaving millions dying in horrendous and preventable pain.

Drug use is associated with increased morbidity and mortality but people who use drugs experience significant barriers to care.

The death penalty for drug offences is a clear violation of international human rights law. Numerous international authorities and legal scholars have reaffirmed this point, including the UN Human Rights Committee as recently as 2018.