Compulsory treatment of drug use in Southeast Asian countries.

BACKGROUND: Several Southeast Asian countries have implemented compulsory drug detention centres in which people who use or are suspected of using drugs, mainly amphetamine-type stimulants, are confined without their consent and in most cases without due process and clinical evaluation of their substance use disorder. Given these facilities' lack of access to evidence-based drug dependence treatment, and the human rights implications of peoples' arbitrary detention under the pretext of "treatment", international organizations have called for their closure. The aim of this study was to estimate recent numbers of compulsory drug treatment centres and of people in these centres in the region. METHODS: We conducted an analysis of cross-sectional governmental data collected from seven countries in the region with compulsory drug detention centres, namely Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. We computed descriptive data provided by government representatives for the period between 2012 and 2014. RESULTS: The total number of people in compulsory detention centres overall decreased by only 4% between 2012 and 2014. In 2014, over 450,000 people were detained in 948 facilities in the seven countries. While only two countries decreased the number of compulsory detention centres, most countries increased the number of people detained. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of international calls for the closure of compulsory detention centres, the number of facilities and detained people remained high in the seven countries included in the analysis. These officially reported figures are concerning regarding access to effective drug dependence treatment and given the potential for additional human rights abuses within compulsory detention centers. Further concerted policy and advocacy efforts should support transition of treatment for people with drug dependence towards human rights-based and evidence-based drug dependence treatment. Expansion of existing drug and HIV services in the community rather than compulsory treatment modalities will effectively address the region's drug and HIV burden

Support for UNRWA's survival

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) provides life-saving humanitarian aid for 5·4 million Palestine refugees now entering their eighth decade of statelessness and conflict. About a third of Palestine refugees still live in 58 recognised camps. UNRWA operates 702 schools and 144 health centres, some of which are affected by the ongoing humanitarian disasters in Syria and the Gaza Strip. It has dramatically reduced the prevalence of infectious diseases, mortality, and illiteracy. Its social services include rebuilding infrastructure and homes that have been destroyed by conflict and providing cash assistance and micro-finance loans for Palestinians whose rights are curtailed and who are denied the right of return to their homeland

Usages problématiques de drogues de synthèse. : Première exploration des demandes et offres de prise en charge

Dans le cadre de la Plate-forme bruxelloise de réduction des risques, un certain nombre d’institutions bruxelloises du secteur de la toxicomanie se rassemblent périodiquement en groupes de travail afin de discuter de leurs projets respectifs. Un de ces groupes de travail est centré sur la problématique des (dites) nouvelles drogues de synthèse (NDS). Parmi les populations âgées de 15 à 30 ans, les NDS représentent aujourd’hui une part importante de la consommation de produits psychotropes. Cette consommation est souvent présentée comme récréative et non-problématique. Lors de l’année 2000, des "jobistes Synergie" ont rencontré en milieux festifs 1946 personnes qui ont accepté de remplir un questionnaire. Parmi les personnes interrogées, 71% déclaraient consommer des drogues illégales. 30% de ceux-ci affirmaient consommer de l’XTC, 20% des amphétamines et 21% de la cocaïne. 8 % des personnes rencontrées déclaraient consommer sur leur lieu de travail, 9 % à l’école et 25% seuls chez eux. A côté de ces chiffres, certains usagers rencontrés en milieux festifs se sont plaints de problèmes liés à leur consommation et étaient demandeurs de lieux de prise en charge et/ou de parole. Durant l’automne 2000, les institutions participant au groupe de travail NDS ont ressenti le besoin d’en savoir davantage sur cette consommation et les problèmes qu’elle pouvait éventuellement engendrer. Ils ont donc décidé de s’associer pour mener une enquête autour de cette question. Réunies en partenariat, CAW Mozaïek - Adzon, le Centre local de promotion de la santé de Bruxelles et Modus Vivendi5 se chargèrent de mener ensemble cette recherche dans le but de communiquer par la suite les résultats à l’ensemble du secteur. Deux enquêtes parallèles ont été envisagées : l’une auprès d’usagers de drogues de synthèse, et l’autre auprès d’institutions bruxelloises travaillant dans le secteur de la santé et/ou touchant à la jeunesse. Ces enquêtes explorent l’offre et la demande de prise en charge autour d’éventuels usages problématiques de NDS

Injecting drug use, risk behaviour and qualitative research in the time of AIDS.

Injecting is one of the main causes of health damage related to illegal drug use today. It is strongly related to fatal and non-fatal overdoses, as well as to the transmission of infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B and C, and HIV infection. Yet studying drug injection is no easy task, due to its hidden nature and low prevalence in general population terms. It is necessary to understand why and how people decide to engage in such dangerous behaviour, and to analyse how drug injectors perceive risk. There are fundamental issues that need to be understood in order to interpret and better use epidemiological quantitative data on the subject. This publication is the result of a review undertaken by the EMCDDA working group on injecting drug use and risk behaviour. It helps in understanding injecting drug use and its adverse health consequences, particularly risk behaviour associated with the transmission of HIV. Table of contents • Injecting drug use: associated harms • Qualitative methods in drugs research • The role of qualitative research • Understanding, injecting risk behaviour • Understanding sexual risk behaviou

Offender Health London/United Kingdom)

This guide has been drafted by the authors and the members of the Editorial Group between June 2007 and February 2008. Parts of the text (by Andrej Kastelic) have been modified from a chapter of the WHO Regional Office for Europe publication “Health in Prisons. A WHO guide to the essentials in prison health ” (Møller et al. 2007). Essential parts have been taken from Annette Verster: Training Manual: Key aspects of substitution treatment for opiate dependence (Euromethwor