More Harm Than Public Health in Drug Policy? A Comment
Well-conceived drug-control policies could contribute importantly to economic and social development and public health. Unfortunately, the reality of drug policies in most countries is rather that they undermine public health by failing to protect people who use drugs from infectious disease and th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Institut de Hautes Études Internationales et du Développement
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Revue Internationale de Politique de Développement |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journals.openedition.org/poldev/3988 |
| _version_ | 1818875548545318912 |
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| author | Joanne Csete |
| author_facet | Joanne Csete |
| author_sort | Joanne Csete |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Well-conceived drug-control policies could contribute importantly to economic and social development and public health. Unfortunately, the reality of drug policies in most countries is rather that they undermine public health by failing to protect people who use drugs from infectious disease and the risk of drug overdose. Drug laws and policies that mandate incarceration for minor, non-violent drug offences have profound health costs as the risk of infectious disease in prison is high, and too few prisons offer appropriate health services for people who use drugs. Overly zealous drug-control policies, moreover, have led to enormous human suffering, as many countries have restricted the use of opioids for the relief of pain associated with cancer and other conditions. Protection of the health of communities involved with the production of drug crops such as coca leaf and opium poppy has rarely figured in ‘alternative development’ programmes for these populations. A few countries have shown that intentionally health-focused drug-control policies can lessen some of these harms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T13:28:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3086fb74fd8b462b93fc277e995e0e34 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1663-9375 1663-9391 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T13:28:15Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Institut de Hautes Études Internationales et du Développement |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revue Internationale de Politique de Développement |
| spelling | doaj.art-3086fb74fd8b462b93fc277e995e0e342022-12-21T20:19:29ZengInstitut de Hautes Études Internationales et du DéveloppementRevue Internationale de Politique de Développement1663-93751663-93912020-09-011210.4000/poldev.3988More Harm Than Public Health in Drug Policy? A CommentJoanne CseteWell-conceived drug-control policies could contribute importantly to economic and social development and public health. Unfortunately, the reality of drug policies in most countries is rather that they undermine public health by failing to protect people who use drugs from infectious disease and the risk of drug overdose. Drug laws and policies that mandate incarceration for minor, non-violent drug offences have profound health costs as the risk of infectious disease in prison is high, and too few prisons offer appropriate health services for people who use drugs. Overly zealous drug-control policies, moreover, have led to enormous human suffering, as many countries have restricted the use of opioids for the relief of pain associated with cancer and other conditions. Protection of the health of communities involved with the production of drug crops such as coca leaf and opium poppy has rarely figured in ‘alternative development’ programmes for these populations. A few countries have shown that intentionally health-focused drug-control policies can lessen some of these harms.http://journals.openedition.org/poldev/3988harm reductionpublic healthHIV/AIDSdrug policiesprohibitiondrug control strategies |
| spellingShingle | Joanne Csete More Harm Than Public Health in Drug Policy? A Comment Revue Internationale de Politique de Développement harm reduction public health HIV/AIDS drug policies prohibition drug control strategies |
| title | More Harm Than Public Health in Drug Policy? A Comment |
| title_full | More Harm Than Public Health in Drug Policy? A Comment |
| title_fullStr | More Harm Than Public Health in Drug Policy? A Comment |
| title_full_unstemmed | More Harm Than Public Health in Drug Policy? A Comment |
| title_short | More Harm Than Public Health in Drug Policy? A Comment |
| title_sort | more harm than public health in drug policy a comment |
| topic | harm reduction public health HIV/AIDS drug policies prohibition drug control strategies |
| url | http://journals.openedition.org/poldev/3988 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joannecsete moreharmthanpublichealthindrugpolicyacomment |