1
|
The Prevalence of HIV Infection in Minority Indigenous Populations of the South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. AIDS Behav 2022; 27:2226-2242. [PMID: 36543946 PMCID: PMC9771782 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03954-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
A random effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of HIV infection within minority indigenous populations of the South-East Asia (SEAR) and Western Pacific Regions (WPR). Sub-group analyses were conducted, and the sources of heterogeneity explored through meta-regression. The majority of studies were undertaken in high HIV risk subpopulations. There was a paucity of data for many countries with data from China representing 70% of the comparative studies. Within minority indigenous populations the pooled prevalence of HIV infection was 13.7% (95% CI 8.9, 19) and 8.4% (95% CI 6.3, 10.7) among other populations. The prevalence differential between populations was significant in the WPR (adjusted odds ratio 1.1, 95% CI 1.0, 1.2). Across both regions, in contrast to other populations, minority indigenous did not experience any significant reduction in HIV prevalence over the years of data collection. There was large heterogeneity in the prevalence of HIV across studies.
Collapse
|
2
|
Bernstein SE, Amirkhani E, Werb D, MacPherson D. Reprint of: The regulation project: Tools for engaging the public in the legal regulation of drugs. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2021; 91:103279. [PMID: 34024456 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Lack of legal regulation and oversight of scheduled drugs in Canada has led to an unsafe drug supply responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands. In addition to contributing to the worst unregulated drug poisoning crisis in Canada's history, the policy framework prohibiting non-medical access to certain drugs has exacerbated numerous public health and safety concerns. An alternative approach to prohibition is for government to retake control of the currently illegal drug market through legal regulatory mechanisms. This paper presents the work of an ongoing international collaboration of organizations advocating legal regulation and some of the knowledge translation tools used to educate and engage the public on legal regulation within Canada. In order to encourage thinking and decision-making among stakeholders in a productive way, models of legal regulation for various substances were created as discussion tools to emerge values and considerations supporting different approaches. The models focus on five questions: 1) who has access to drugs; 2) how access is obtained; 3) where drugs can be accessed; 4) how much people can obtain; and 5) where drugs can be consumed. The models were presented to stakeholders in the context of an international meeting on legal regulation, and then adapted to a more "user-friendly" form: a collaborative negotiation-based Regulation Game, which was presented at a workshop in Montréal, Canada. Engaging different stakeholder groups on policy choices of legal regulation revealed initial barriers that we feel more confident can be overcome through creative and innovative tools such as the Regulation Game. Use of the game as a foundation for more traditional focus groups could be effective in reducing barriers to fulsome policy discussions on legal regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily Amirkhani
- Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, Simon Fraser University, Canada
| | - Dan Werb
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Donald MacPherson
- Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addictions, Simon Fraser University, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Emerson B, Haden M. A public health based vision for the management and regulation of opioids. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2021; 91:103201. [PMID: 33785246 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Prohibition of the possession of opioids for non-medical purposes and medical/pharmaceutical commercialization of opioids are important contributors to the current opioid overdose epidemic. A new model of regulation is urgently required. Within the context of a public health framework, we explore supply control, demand reduction, health promotion, and harm reduction and describe an alternative regulatory model that includes access for medical and non-medical purposes. Oversight of this proposed new system would include a control structure with an explicit public health mandate to minimize harms and maximize benefits of opioids. Medical access would be achieved through multi-disciplinary teams who would prescribe a range of opioids for 1) pain, 2) treatment for patients who develop opioid use disorder, and 3) other medical indications. Non-medical access could be achieved through models that would allow adults to purchase and use opioids for either supervised or take-home use. We describe three possible models to support jurisdiction specific discussions around the world. The first includes education and training that could result in certification with a basic or advanced license or a purchase authorization card. The second includes mandatory training that allows general access to opioids, but excludes people with problematic opioid use. The third model has optional training and excludes people with problematic opioid use. Allowing for inclusion of people dependent on the current illegal market during transition is highlighted. With any of these models, this approach, while attending to illegal market drivers, would result in a greatly reduced illegal opioid market and its attendant toxic products, reduced violence and corruption, and at the same time, provide a sharper focus for medical use with more appropriate prescribing and indications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Emerson
- British Columbia Ministry of Health, PO Box 9648 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria, BC, V8W 9P1, Canada.
| | - Mark Haden
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 3155W 6th Ave, Vancouver, B.C., V6K 1 × 5, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bernstein SE, Amirkhani E, Werb D, MacPherson D. The regulation project: Tools for engaging the public in the legal regulation of drugs. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2020; 86:102949. [PMID: 33049592 PMCID: PMC7547323 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Lack of legal regulation and oversight of scheduled drugs in Canada has led to an unsafe drug supply responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands. In addition to contributing to the worst unregulated drug poisoning crisis in Canada's history, the policy framework prohibiting non-medical access to certain drugs has exacerbated numerous public health and safety concerns. An alternative approach to prohibition is for government to retake control of the currently illegal drug market through legal regulatory mechanisms. This paper presents the work of an ongoing international collaboration of organizations advocating legal regulation and some of the knowledge translation tools used to educate and engage the public on legal regulation within Canada. In order to encourage thinking and decision-making among stakeholders in a productive way, models of legal regulation for various substances were created as discussion tools to emerge values and considerations supporting different approaches. The models focus on five questions: 1) who has access to drugs; 2) how access is obtained; 3) where drugs can be accessed; 4) how much people can obtain; and 5) where drugs can be consumed. The models were presented to stakeholders in the context of an international meeting on legal regulation, and then adapted to a more "user-friendly" form: a collaborative negotiation-based Regulation Game, which was presented at a workshop in Montréal, Canada. Engaging different stakeholder groups on policy choices of legal regulation revealed initial barriers that we feel more confident can be overcome through creative and innovative tools such as the Regulation Game. Use of the game as a foundation for more traditional focus groups could be effective in reducing barriers to fulsome policy discussions on legal regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily Amirkhani
- Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, Simon Fraser University, Canada
| | - Dan Werb
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Donald MacPherson
- Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addictions, Simon Fraser University, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hall W. The future of the international drug control system and national drug prohibitions. Addiction 2018; 113:1210-1223. [PMID: 28884869 DOI: 10.1111/add.13941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
A major impediment to any nation abandoning the policy of drug prohibition has been the fact that international drug treaties to which the majority of United Nations (UN) member states are signatory prohibit the non-medical use of amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine and heroin. The future of these treaties is now uncertain because of decisions by Uruguay, eight US states and Canada to legalize cannabis use. This paper: (1) provides a brief account of the international drug control treaties; (2) outlines the major criticisms of the treaties; (3) analyses critically proposals for treaty reform; and (4) provides a personal view on policies that nation states could adopt to minimize the harms from the use of cannabis, party drugs and hallucinogens, opioids, stimulants and new psychoactive substances. It is argued that: a major risk of cannabis legalization in the United States is promotion of heavy use and increased harm by a weakly regulated industry; some cautious national experiments with the regulation of party drugs and hallucinogens would be informative; a strong case remains for prohibiting the nonmedical use of opioids while mitigating the adverse effects that this policy has on opioid-dependent people; stimulant legalization will probably increase problem use but prohibition is difficult to enforce, highlighting the urgency of finding better ways to reduce demand for these drugs and respond to problem users; and that it is unclear what the best approach is to reducing possible harms that may arise from the use of new psychoactive substances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wayne Hall
- National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, King's College, London, London, UK.,The Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia.,National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Winstanley EL, Clark A, Feinberg J, Wilder CM. Barriers to implementation of opioid overdose prevention programs in Ohio. Subst Abus 2017; 37:42-6. [PMID: 26682929 DOI: 10.1080/08897077.2015.1132294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nationally, overdose fatalities have reached epidemic proportions. Ohio has one of the highest overdose death rates in the country, as well as high rates of prescription opioid trafficking. METHODS A cross-sectional self-report survey of opioid overdose prevention programs (OOPPs) in Ohio was conducted between August and October 2014 to characterize programs and ascertain barriers to successful implementation. A 91% response rate was achieved with 18 programs participating in the study. RESULTS The first Ohio OOPP opened in August 2012, a second program opened in 2013, and the remaining programs began in 2014. All of the programs distribute nasal naloxone and provide overdose prevention education, and 89% (n = 16) provide overdose kits for free. Six OOPPs are funded by the Ohio Department of Health, 3 programs are funded by a local health foundation, and several other public and private funding sources were reported. The OOPPs have funding to distribute a combined total of 8,670 overdose kits and had distributed 1998 kits by October 2014. The OOPPs reported 149 overdose reversals. Fifteen programs (83%) reported implementation barriers that were categorized as stigma-, cost-, staffing-, legal, regulatory, and client-related problems. Legislative changes aimed at removing some of the obstacles to distribution and lay administration of naloxone have recently been enacted in Ohio. CONCLUSIONS OOPPs have rapidly expanded in Ohio during the past 3 years. Although recent legislative changes have addressed some of the reported implementation barriers, stigma and the cost of naloxone remain significant problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Winstanley
- a James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy , University of Cincinnati , Cincinnati , Ohio , USA
| | - Angela Clark
- b College of Nursing , University of Cincinnati , Cincinnati , Ohio , USA
| | - Judith Feinberg
- c Behavioral Medicine & Psychiatry , College of Medicine , West Virginia University, Morgantown , West Virginia , USA
| | - Christine M Wilder
- d Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Cincinnati , Ohio , USA.,e Addiction Sciences Division , Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience , University of Cincinnati College of Medicine , Cincinnati , Ohio , USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Noroozi A, Mirzazadeh A, Farhoudian A, Hajebi A, Khankeh HR, Higgs P, Sharifi H, Armoon B, Noroozi M. Impact of HIV Status Notification on Risk Behaviors among Men Who Inject Drugs in Kermanshah, West of Iran. J Res Health Sci 2016; 16:116-121. [PMID: 27840338 PMCID: PMC7191024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Revised: 08/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is unclear whether knowing of current HIV status is associated with change in injecting behaviors among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Iran. The objective of the present study was to determine whether awareness of HIV positive status is associated with a reduction in injecting risk behaviors, after matching for socio-demographic characteristics. METHODS Five hundred male PWID were recruited in 2014 from two drop-in centers (DICs) in Kermanshah west of Iran. Trained interviewers collected data on socio-demographic characteristics, HIV testing and drug-related risk behaviors over the last month prior to interview using a structured questionnaire. Our primary exposure of interest was awareness of HIV status, used to group participants into three categories: positive, negative, unaware. We used coarsened exact matching to make the three groups statistically equivalent based on age, place of residence, education and income, and then compared them regarding the proportion of borrowing, lending and reuse of syringes. RESULTS Matched sample (n=320) had a mean age ± standard deviation (SD) of 33.5 ±7.6 yr. Overall, 25% (95% CI: 14%, 32%) of participants reported "borrowing a syringe" in the past month and 15% (95% CI: 7%, 22%) of them reported "lending a used syringe" to others in the past month. In comparison to PWID who were unaware of their HIV status, those knew they were HIV positive (OR 1.68, CI95%1.32-2.81) or negative (OR 1.54; 95% CI: 1.28, 2.71) were both more likely to report borrowing syringes in past month. CONCLUSIONS PWID WHO know they are positive for HIV are more likely to borrow another person's syringe, to report reuse of their own used syringes and less likely to report lending their syringes to others. Strategies to scale up HIV testing and counseling for PWID, which also increase awareness of HIV status, may decrease injecting related the risk behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Noroozi
- a Department of Neuroscience and Addiction Studies, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Mirzazadeh
- b Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
,c HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ali Farhoudian
- d Substance Abuse and Dependence Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad Hajebi
- e Addiction and High Risk Behavior Research Center, Tehran Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Reza Khankeh
- f Research Center in Emergency and Disaster Health, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Tehran, Iran
,g Department of Clinical Sciences and Education, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter Higgs
- h Department of Public Health, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Hamid Sharifi
- c HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Bahram Armoon
- i Student’s Research Committee, School of Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Noroozi
- d Substance Abuse and Dependence Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
,Correspondence Mehdi Noroozi (PhD) Tel: +98 21 44856494
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Haden M, Emerson B, Tupper KW. A Public-Health-Based Vision for the Management and Regulation of Psychedelics. J Psychoactive Drugs 2016; 48:243-52. [DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2016.1202459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
|
9
|
Karimy M, Abedi AR, Abredari H, Taher M, Zarei F, Rezaie Shahsavarloo Z. Does the theory-driven program affect the risky behavior of drug injecting users in a healthy city? A quasi-experimental study. Med J Islam Repub Iran 2016; 30:314. [PMID: 27390684 PMCID: PMC4898848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The horror of HIV/AIDS as a non-curable, grueling disease is a destructive issue for every country. Drug use, shared needles and unsafe sex are closely linked to the transmission of HIV/AIDS. Modification or changing unhealthy behavior through educational programs can lead to HIV prevention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of theory-based education intervention on HIV prevention transmission in drug addicts. METHODS In this quasi-experimental study, 69 male drug injecting users were entered in to the theory- based educational intervention. Data were collected using a questionnaire, before and 3 months after four sessions (group discussions, lecture, film displaying and role play) of educational intervention. RESULTS The findings signified that the mean scores of constructs (self-efficacy, susceptibility, severity and benefit) significantly increased after the educational intervention, and the perceived barriers decreased (p< 0.001). Also, the history of HIV testing was reported to be 9% before the intervention, while the rate increased to 88% after the intervention. CONCLUSION The present research offers a primary founding for planning and implementing a theory based educational program to prevent HIV/AIDS transmission in drug injecting addicts. This research revealed that health educational intervention improved preventive behaviors and the knowledge of HIV/AIDS participants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahmood Karimy
- PhD of Health Education and Promotion, Academic Member of Health Education Department, Saveh University of Medical Sciences, Saveh, Iran.
| | - Ahmad Reza Abedi
- PhD candidate of Nursing Education, MSN, BSN, RN, Academic Member of Medical-Surgical Department, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
| | - Hamid Abredari
- MSN, BSN, RN of Nursing, Academic Member of Saveh University of Medical Sciences, & Kaveh Industrial Estate Company Saveh, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Taher
- MSN, BSN, RN of Nursing, Academic Member of Saveh University of Medical Sciences, & Kaveh Industrial Estate Company Saveh, Iran.
| | - Fatemeh Zarei
- MSc, Department of nursing, college of nursing, Saveh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Saveh, Iran.
| | - Zahra Rezaie Shahsavarloo
- MSN, BSN, RN of Nursing, Academic Member of Saveh University of Medical Sciences, & Kaveh Industrial Estate Company Saveh, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bastami F, Mostafavi F, Hassanzadeh A. Effect of educational intervention on knowledge, perceived benefits, barriers and self-efficacy regarding AIDS preventive behaviors among drug addicts. JOURNAL OF EDUCATION AND HEALTH PROMOTION 2015; 4:90. [PMID: 27462632 PMCID: PMC4946267 DOI: 10.4103/2277-9531.171804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Addicts account for approximately 68.15% of AIDS cases in Iran and injection drug users are considered as a major factor in the spread of AIDS in Iran. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an educational intervention on the perceived self-efficacy, benefits, and barriers concerning AIDS preventive behaviors among drug addicts in Khorramabad, Iran. METHODS This is a quasi-experimental study carried out in 2013 on 88 addicts kept in rehabilitations center in Khorramabad. The data collection instruments included a questionnaire on self-efficacy, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, knowledge and preventive behaviors regarding HIV. Data were analyzed by paired t-test, independent t-test, Chi-square and analysis of covariance. RESULTS Paired t-test showed that the mean scores for perceived benefits and barriers, knowledge and preventive behaviors significantly increased in the intervention group after the intervention than before the intervention. But the increase in self-efficacy score was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study showed that training and education based on the health belief model led to an increase in knowledge, self-efficacy, perceived benefits, performance and reduction in perceived barriers in addicts. It is recommended that future studies should include strategies for enhancing self-efficacy and perceived benefits as well as strategies for reducing barriers to the adoption of preventive behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Bastami
- Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Firoozeh Mostafavi
- Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Akbar Hassanzadeh
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Lund I, Scheffels J. Perceptions of the relative harmfulness of snus among Norwegian general practitioners and their effect on the tendency to recommend snus in smoking cessation. Nicotine Tob Res 2011; 14:169-75. [PMID: 22025541 DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntr159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Research suggests that health risks associated with the use of Swedish moist snuff (snus) are considerably smaller than health risks associated with cigarette smoking. However, erroneous ideas of approximately equal harm from snus and cigarettes are common in the general population. General practitioners (GPs) have a crucial role in giving information about health and risk to patients, and the objective of this study was to measure their perceptions of the relative harmfulness of cigarettes and snus and how these perceptions related to their tendency to recommend snus as a smoking cessation aid. METHODS Approximately 900 GPs completed a questionnaire in 2008 (response rate about 45%). Perceived relative risk was measured by the question: "In terms of health risks, how do you think daily use of snus compares to daily use of cigarettes?" Answer categories ranged from "snus is much more harmful" to "snus is much less harmful." RESULTS Only 36% of the GPs believed that snus was much less harmful than cigarettes. More than 15% believed that snus was equally or more harmful than cigarettes. GPs who rated snus as much less harmful more often recommended snus as an aid in smoking cessation. CONCLUSIONS Almost two thirds of the GPs had beliefs about the relative risk of snus and cigarettes that were at odds with scientific consensus. The associated limitations in disseminated information about snus as a possible quitting aid can be understood as an unexploited intervention potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ingeborg Lund
- Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research (SIRUS), PO Box 565, Sentrum, N-0105 Oslo, Norway.
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Fighting addiction's death row: British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Ian Pitfield shows a measure of legal courage. Harm Reduct J 2008; 5:31. [PMID: 18957091 PMCID: PMC2611970 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7517-5-31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2008] [Accepted: 10/28/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The art in law, like medicine, is in its humanity. Nowhere is the humanity in law more poignant than in BC Supreme Court Justice Ian Pitfield's recent judgment in the legal case aimed at protecting North America's only supervised injection facility (SIF) as a healthcare program: PHS Community Services Society versus the Attorney General of Canada. In order to protect the SIF from politicization, the PHS Community Services Society, the community organization that established and operates the program, along with two people living with addiction and three lawyers working for free, pro bono publico, took the federal government of Canada to court. The courtroom struggle that ensued was akin to a battle between David and Goliath. The judge in the case, Justice Pitfield, ruled in favour of the PHS and gave the Government of Canada one year to bring the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) into compliance with the country's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. If parliament fails to do so, then the CDSA will evaporate from enforceability and law in June of 2009. Despite the fact that there are roughly twelve million intravenous drug addiction users in the world today, politics andprejudice oards harm reduction are still a barrier to the widespread application of the "best medicine" available for serious addicts. Nowhere is this clearer than in the opposition by conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his faithful servant, federal health minister Tony Clement, towards Vancouver's SIF ("Insite"). The continued angry politicization of addiction will only lead to the tragic loss of life, as addicts are condemned to death from infectious diseases (HIV & hepatitis) and preventable overdoses. In light of the established facts in science, medicine and now law, political opposition to life-saving population health programs (including SIFs) to address the effects of addiction is a kind of implicit capital punishment for the addicted. This commentary examines the socio-political context of the legal case and the major figures that contributed to it. It reviews Justice Pitfield's ruling, a judgment that has brought Canada one step closer to putting a stop to addiction's death row where intravenous drug users are needlessly, for political and ideological reasons alone, forced to face increased risks of death due to AIDS, hepatitis and overdose.
Collapse
|