Some weeks ago, ECAD joined a new progressive drug policy platform, Drug Policy Futures. It focuses on a drug policy based on evidence, shared responsibility, public health and public safety. We choose not to be a part of false dichotomy of a "war on drugs" or "legalisation". Drug Policy Futures supports policy based on reputable science and principles of public health and safety, which reject both legalization and incarceration.

Alternatives? Yes!
Legalisation? No!
New Drug Policy Futures platform calls for an end to a polarised drug debate at the United Nations

As the United Nation’s host the 2014 Commission of Narcotic Drugs this week in Vienna, a new drug policy platform, Drug Policy Futures, was formally launched. The public-health oriented platform, which was conceived by civil society delegates who attended last year’s United Nation’s Commission on Narcotic Drugs, aims to challenge the opinion that drug policy is a simple choice between a “war on drugs” or a legal market of substances which are harmful to health. Rather, organisations such as Actis from Norway, one of the founders of Drug Policy Futures claim that drug policy today should better prevent initiation of drug use, respect human rights, strike a balance between supply and demand as well as ensuring that controlled drugs are available for legitimate scientific and medical purposes. Amongst these things, the platform also advocates for the flexibility that countries have already under the existing UN Drug Control Conventions, flexibility which is not always being used to its’ full extent.

The launch of the new Drug Policy Futures platform comes at a time with dignitaries from all across the world are meeting at the United Nations in Vienna to attend a High Level Review of the world’s drug problem. Notable guests and participants include Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden, UN Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, the Chairperson of the 57 ^th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Ambassador Khaled Shamaa, Permanent Representative of Egypt to the UN in Vienna, the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Yury Fedotov, and the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, and many other dignitaries.On top of that, around 1,500 high-ranking individuals from Member States, inter-governmental organizations, civil society, and the media will be present. The Review is a major milestone in preparations for the UN General Assembly Special Session on the world drug problem in 2016.

Yesterday saw the Informal Civil Society Hearing take place ahead of the scheduled UN High Level Review meeting, during which many civil society delegates agreed that countries are not doing everything they could do under the current legal framework.

Frans Koopmans, whose organisation De Hoop Foundation, The Netherlands is one of the first signatories of Drug Policy Futures said “Drug Policy Futures isn’t about advocating for the status quo in countries where there are clear abuses of human rights, but neither is it about advocating for reforms which have no evidence behind them, or for actions which may be harmful to health. Basically, all countries should be required to implement effective drug demand reduction programmes, based on what is known today about what works”.

Stig-Erik Sorheim, Actis, Norway and Co-ordinator of Drug Policy Futures noted “Two years from now, the United Nations will carry out a review of global drug control and we must ensure the debate is informed by evidence from the public health and justice fields. It’s important that we don’t just hear from groups who seek to regulate drugs, who have not spelled out in any great detail what the public health consequences of such moves would be. At a time when drug use is fairly stable across Europe, we must make sure that NGO’s and civil society are mobilised to advocate for evidence-based strategies which promote public health, safety and the wellbeing of families, communities and society but which also ensure individuals with drug problems are provided with the best possible healthcare”.

Although it has only been launched formally this week, already over 35 NGO’s from across the globe have already officially signed up to the policy principles. Organisations interested in joining Drug Policy Futures to advocate for evidence-based strategies to promote public health can log onto www.drugpolicyfutures.org, where they can also sign up to the platform if they agree with the basic policy principles.