EuroNPUD SDP⫷⫸2021

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 ‘𝐰𝐚𝐫’, 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝

Psychoactive substances have been used for different purposes since immemorial times as an essential component of all human societies: on the search for the unknown pleasures. However, the war on drugs, proclaimed by US President Richard Nixon, in the 70s of the 20th century, as well as the pressure for other countries to participate in this war, unleashed a persecution of individual rights, giving rise to a violence that has a lot of strctural. Nevertheless, on June 26, 1987, the United Nations instituted the International Day against the Abuse and Illicit Traffic in Drugs — a date on which several governments celebrate their contribution to prohibitionism through the death penalty and terrifying campaigns. In 1993, Kofi Annan, then Secretary General of the United Nations, at the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Drugs, insisted and proclaimed as a goal by 2008 “a drug-free world”.

Consequently, EuroNPUD grassroots movements - Drug Users unions from all over Europe, joined the Support Don’t Punish Global Day of Action campaign promoted by IDPC. It is time to consider the revision of international conventions, inadequate to the reality of our existing societies. It's time to foster space to peer led movements, among people who use drugs and our allies, it's time to reclaim social justice, pleasure and the end of criminalization putting people at the center of any public policy. Therefore, we demand to be listened to and to access health, housing, full spectrum harm reduction practices, peer teams and peer led distribution of naloxone, OST to all,... We demand the right to use drugs and safer practices accessible to all. Last but not the least, this campaign also aims at bringing our own aspirations to the forefront:

EuroNPUD has given small grants to 12 drug user groups in 10 countries to organise actions. These will be coordinated under a collective poster translated into country languages. The slogan is “Opening Up To ….”. This builds on EuroNPUD’s SDP2020 campaign “Time For A New Normal”. As we come through this shared experience where community solidarity and public health have been so important, EuroNPUD questions the logic of continuing with an approach that has failed for over 50 years.

Organizations participating in the Support Don’t Punish Global Day of Action campaign :

Društvo AREAL Slovenia Ljubljana

UISCE Ireland Dublin

ItaNPUD Italy Rome

Brukarforeningen Stockholm Sweden

Metzineres Spain/Catalonia Barcelona

GAT Portugal Lisboa

CASO Portugal Porto

BF Denmark Copenhagen

PeerNUPS Greece Athens

MPDP Bulgaria Sofia

BerLUN Germany Berlin

CATNPUD Spain/Catalonia Barcelona