10th International Harm Reduction Conference
10 years ago the first international harm reduction conference took place. Since then, the idea of harm reduction has evolved considerably. However, the interpretation of this concept is flexible and the range of meanings goes from measures related to the help for drug users to survive to the idea of a co-ordinated policy on a local and a global level. Many experiences have shown that a pragmatic approach is the way to respond to the needs and the demands that arise. For example, the distribution of needles is efficient for the reduction of HIV transmission and therefore for the control of the epidemic. The extension of substitution treatment helps to improve access to the social system and to reach more of the target population. Prohibition, repression of consumption and the war against drug trafficking does not seem to improve the situation since the number of drug users in the world is still increasing and consumption is becoming problematic for a growing number of users. Many questions remain unanswered. for example, why are successful measures not systematically implemented? What are the barriers? Is there a general model or do local conditions predominate and hinder the implementation of proposed strategies? How can we improve the prevention of risks related to drug use? What are the alternatives? For example, how can we react when new substances come up? Moreover: migration (voluntary and involuntary) is on the increase, precariousness of life conditions and pauperisation of a growing part of the population is apparently associated to an increase of problems related to the use of (legal and illegal) psychotropic substances. Finally, we could summarise these questions by asking how we can improve the control of “drugs” in order to reduce the risk on an individual and collective level. The goal of the 10th conference is to attempt to answer these questions utilising ten years of experience and to propose strategies of action and suggestions for the next decade. All your ideas, suggestions and questions will be welcomed; they will make the debate very profitable.
Dr Dominique Hausser, MD, MSc, President of the conference
for more information: www.ihra.org.uk/