The accepted wisdom about the US overdose crisis singles out prescribing as the causative vector. Although drug supply is a key factor, we posit that the crisis is fundamentally fueled by economic and social upheaval, its etiology closely linked to the role of opioids as a refuge from physical and psychological trauma, concentrated disadvantage, isolation, and hopelessness.

Could the stigmatising language often used to describe people who use drugs or develop problems with drugs simply be the symptom of a belief that is wrong?

“But I don’t think education is as helpful as we hope it will be, because people come with pre-existing opinions.”

A summary of evidence from the Hepatitis C Elimination Inquiry held by the cross-party Scottish Hepatitis C Parliamentary Champions group and The Hepatitis C Trust

The ‘war on drugs’ was built on shaky foundations. Now, countries around the world from Canada, to Uruguay, Portugal and many US states are beginning to dismantle it piece by piece.

Wherever there are humans there are drugs. But our understanding of the problems some people develop with drugs is dependent on where these people live.

The Public Health Agency of Canada recently released projections that 2017 will have seen a total of more than 4,000 opioid-related deaths.

Canada’s current opioid crisis is a health emergency that has been growing for some time. Last year there were 2,816 reported opioid-related deaths in Canada. In 2018, public health experts estimate this number will exceed 4,000.

In a recent BMJ Opinion article, Ian Hamilton expressed his scepticism that “adopting a new vocabulary to describe people who have problems with drugs will reduce the stigma they experience.” I agree that language alone cannot reduce this kind of stigma or prejudice, but it’s a good place to start.

Most health systems lack sufficient doctors trained in addiction medicine to reduce the public health consequences of this increasing societal problem, writes J Klimas

From the perspective of activists from Eastern-Europe, Amsterdam is the symbol of humane drug policies. Our Russian speaking reporters visited the city to explore its harm reduction scene – and meet with Eastern-Europeans who live there. Watch their video and find out more!

The report recommended that clinicians and healthcare professionals should be vocal in promoting evidence based prevention, treatment, and harm reduction services and should tackle perception based stigmas in healthcare settings.

To compare regard for working with different patient groups (including substance users) among different professional groups in different health-care settings in eight European countries.

Palliative care has increased in Africa over the past 12 years but only in a small subset of countries, according to a review published today in Lancet Oncology.

Understanding how many people inject drugs is critically important for the effective provision of public health and harm reduction services.

This IDUIT Brief Guide for People who Use Drugs is intended to outline the key concepts of Implementing Comprehensive HIV and HCV Programs with People who Inject Drugs:

Many HIV-positive people who inject drugs (PWID) globally are not receiving HIV care. This represents a major challenge among key populations to end the global HIV epidemic. This qualitative study explored the process and associated barriers of linking HIV-positive PWID who are in addiction treatment to HIV care in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The WHO/ UNODC/UNAIDS Technical Guide to reduce HIV infection among people who inject drugs (PWID) sets out nine interventions proven effective in reducing HIV transmission among this population. Universal access to the comprehensive package of nine interventions is a priority.

Although HIV is preventable through effective public health measures, HIV transmission is still a major concern in Europe, in particular in the eastern part of the WHO European Region. In 2016, more than 160,000 people were diagnosed with HIV, the highest number of people ever newly diagnosed in one year.

People who use drugs are unfairly stigmatised by being described in derogatory terms by some clinicians, politicians, and the media, a global report has said.

The purpose of this guide is to outline four key elements of a public health overdose response and suggest a process for implementing a community overdose response plan.

Excellent visual tool

UNAIDS announces nearly 21 million people living with HIV now on treatment

Hepatitis C prevalence remains high and half of those infected are undiagnosed Hepatitis C remains the most common blood-borne infection among people who inject drugs (PWID), and there are significant levels of transmission among this group in the UK. HIV levels remain low, but risks continue and HIV is often diagnosed at a late stage among PWID.

A systematic review of studies from high income countries with large databases of people experiencing homelessness, sex working, contact with criminal justice or drug treatment services. The chances of dying in any given year (Standardised Mortality Ratios) are 8 times higher than average for men and 12 times higher for women. Shocking figures from extremes of social exclusion.

Inclusion Health is defined, and an evidence synthesis demonstrates that we know how to deliver health care systems that can tackle complexity and multiple morbidity. Multi-disciplinary, multi-agency and multi-component care, taken to the people and centred on building trusting relationships has an international evidence base.

World AIDS Day takes place on the 1st December each year. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day.

Background paper commissioned by the EMCDDA for Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide

Key periods of increased risk follow periods of abstinence when tolerance is lost, particularly on leaving prison or abstinence-based treatment.

Practical guide for service providers on gender-responsive HIV services