UNDUN

Knowing that Howard's cancer would soon be fatal, in March 2009 there was a tribute gathering for Howard at Sayulita, Mexico, in which Howard was able to participate and present A Story of My Life and Years.

Howard and Norma at the International Conference
on Drug User Activism in Copenhagen, November 2008
(click picture to enlarge)

Howard was active in user-focused and drug policy conferences and was the world's leading non-African proponent of ibogaine treatment for opiate depedency. Howard first discovered ibogaine's properties in the mid-1960's when he used it himself and discovered he was able to stop using heroin without any withdrawal symptoms. Download a presentation Howard gave at 2008 Drug User Activism Conference entitled The Ibogaine Community Worldwide - User to User

Howard was the president and founding member of the Dora Weiner Foundation "to encourage and promote public knowledge of research in the study of chemical dependence and substance-related disorders and to advocate for the rights of patients being treated for dependence to drugs"; he was a board member of NAMA (National Alliance for Medication Assisted Recovery); he helped to found and maintain The Ibogaine Dossier, an extensive online library dedicated to providing information on ibogaine, an experimental antiaddictive medication; and he was the recepient of many awards for his work on behalf of medically-assisted treatment for opiate users, such as the Award for Achievement in the Field of Citizen Action at the Drug Policy Alliance Conference in November 2009.

See Howard's obit in the New York Times

Howard was a wonderful human being, and as such, a sensitive, caring and committed social activist. Please download a brief obituary.

The Czechs will hold small amounts of drugs The Prague government decided Monday, December 14, to decriminalize possession of small quantities of drugs. The Prime Minister Jan Fischer has taken the step that previous governments had dared to jump down specifically what the law said since mid 1990 is only a misdemeanor possession of a quantity of narcotics "greater that small ". This wording, which gave a smile and especially to interpretation by the courts, was the subject of endless arguments between judges and police. From 1 January 2010, shall be liable to criminal prosecution as persons holding more than 1.5 grams of heroin, 1 gram of cocaine, 2 g pervitin (Czech methamphetamine production) or 15 g of cannabis. Without specifying if these doses are medically reasonable and public safety, the Minister of Justice, Daniela Kovár(ová, noted that the definition had been established on the basis of "the current judicial practice." Doses tolerated now worth between 20 and 100 euros in the streets of Prague. The previous week, the cabinet had already approved and supervised the cultivation of plants intoxicant. So will it be possible for every Czech citizen to grow legally, from January, five plants of marijuana, coca (cactus), baldingère of faux grass and forty kinds of psilocybe - species of hallucinogenic mushroom. The amendment to the Penal Code has been strongly criticized by gardeners specializing in cactus and producer of cannabis for medical purposes. "This legislation will help dealers and consumers casual, but criminalizes healers and pharmacologists," said Dusan Dvorak, psychotherapist and proponent of medical cannabis. Mr. Fischer had given him an award for its work a few days earlier. "Positive contribution" These new rules have been welcomed by many consumers who, in November, demonstrating in Prague for the decriminalization of marijuana. On Internet forums, participants have already found the parade to continue to grow more than five feet tolerated. Suffice it to say that additional plants belonging to friends or family members. If, as the spokesman for the Drug Squad Czech Michal Hammer, this "proposal is a positive contribution, because it unifies the attitude of the police and justice", it does not, however, unanimity among officials involved in the fight against drug abuse. While the country is already one of the largest producers of synthetic drugs and the largest number of youth (15-30 years) consumers more or less regular drug (35%) in Europe, health professionals' s ask about the consequences of this liberalization.
      Le Monde - Original Source

A recently released article "Opioid prescribing challenges doctors" in the Canadian Medical Association Journal deals with a topic which is relevant to heroin and morphine users in Canada. The article quotes Deb and Brent from UNDUN who favour changes in policy which would enable doctors to readily prescribe pharmaceutical opiates to people who are already dependent on them, i.e. currently dependent users. See CMAJ's website for the full article

The article is the third in a series by the same author, Ann Silversides, which deal with issues of opiod prescribing in Canada. Part One is entitled "Regulatory colleges to set painkiller guidelines" and Part Two is entitled "Ontario takes aim at painkiller abuse". As well, another article, "Methadone Patient Registry Assailed, also recently appeared.

Since 2000, August 31 has been recognized as International Overdose Awareness Day. Overdose occurs at an alarming rate, in fact many major cites worldwide experience hundreds of overdose deaths annually, yet overdose is considered by harm reduction advocates as a readily preventable occurance. At present the existence of widespread overdose is directly linked to the illicit nature of street drug use where the quality of substances is so unregulated, eductation about proper use and dosage so haphazard, and the availability of prevention tools, such as Naloxone, so limited.

This year, the Salvation Army of Australia has produced two good videos which bring attention to overdose. The videos are available at their website.

The Salvation Army notes the shame and stigma which surviving family members often experience following the overdose death of a loved one. Overdose Awareness Day is an effort to "lay bare the stigma associated with drug use... [and] provide an opportunity for people to publicly mourn for loved ones, some for the first time, without feeling guilt or shame".

Overdose is a risk for all psychoactive drug users. For example, longitudinal studies indicate that between 1% and 3% of heroin users die each year, with overdoses accounting for an (increasing) majority of these deaths in many countries. Evidence also suggests that in excess of 40% of heroin injectors have experienced a non-fatal overdose and as many as 70% have witnessed an overdose event. Research has also found that injecting drug users are 15 times more likely to overdose than those who use non-injecting routes of administration, and overdose is especially common for those who use combinations of different drugs.

Overdose is, however, a fundamentally preventable harm. In many ways, overdose prevention is a quintessential harm reduction approach. For heroin overdoses in particular, a ‘cure’ exists through emergency medication called ‘naloxone’ – yet this is a shamefully underused intervention around the world given its potential to save lives.

The International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA) also observers Overdose Awareness Day. IHRA's website provides access to a collection of overdose-related documents which they call the "50 Best Collection on Overdose". You will find that comprehensive listing of articles and research here

Another excellent, comprehensive report from Transform. Their latest report compares the costs of the current prohibition system with that of a regulated system of drugs. Download the report from here

Be sure to also check out Transform's blog. It is regularly updated with lots of information you won't easily find elsewhere.

Also impressive is their FAQ regarding some of the basic questions which arise in debates regarding prohibition and a managed systems of drugs - Transform FAQ

Newly diagnosed cases of HIV in SHR jumped by 45 % in 2008 when compared to 2007, preliminary figures have shown. Between 2004 and March 2007 injection drug use was indicated for as a risk factor in 80 % of cases, while 9 % of new cases only indicated heterosexual contact with no other risk factor. Since 2004 two neonatal cases have been reported, the result of Mother-to-child transmission of HIV during the perinatal period.

- taken from Public Health Matters newsletter, Saskatoon Public Health, January 2009

Doctor Christoph Buerki runs a centre for addicts in the capital, Bern.

"For those patients it's still the lesser of two evils to prescribe it, than to just leave them. And it has also advantages if you give it out to them, in a controlled way," Dr Buerki said.

"You can see your patient every day, you can treat them for all their concomitant problems - be it mental health, somatic health - we can give them regular medication, we can help integrate socially with social services."

For the broader community, the benefits are said to be enormous.

There are fewer deals in streets and parks, there are fewer dirty syringes and there are fewer overdoses.

HIV infection rates are falling and so is the instance and spread of hepatitis strains.

- ABC News

The conference will begin with an art exhibition with live music and spoken word performances, followed by two days of speakers and workshops. Speakers will explore the local and international impacts of the 100 Years of Drug Policy in Canada, the role of the criminal justice system in drug policy, and of course, how we can work to celebrate 100 years of successful drug policy in 2108. Interactive workshops on topic such as psychedelics, medical marijuana, harm reduction and education, will be held with opportunities to share skills and knowledge essential for the improvement of Canadian drug policy to take home with you.

... health officials in Quebec say they are preparing to open a safe injection site in Montreal in coming months, and there could be many more to follow in the province...

Quebec has already embraced harm reduction strategies to combat the ills of drug abuse. The province boasts nearly 800 needle exchange locations. [Public Health Minister] Poirier said establishing safe injection sites was the logical next step.

"We can't do this in hiding without saying or announcing anything," Poirier said. "The public has to be aware that this is one step more. We'll probably start in Montreal, then look at Quebec City's downtown area," Poirier said. "We haven't ruled out other cities being chosen. We would like to have sites where they are justified by the need."

On this occasion the International Network of People Who Use Drugs for the Asia and Pacific region issued a call to governments, various agencies, organisations and the general public to support in "empowering our communities to advocate and protect our rights and to facilitate meaningful participation in decision making on issues affecting us."

The Goa Declaration also requests support in promoting a better understanding of current drug policies that negatively impact on the lives and rights of people who use drugs, their families and communities. It calls for acknowledging and enhancing knowledge and skills to educate and train others, particularly peers and members of the community.

"Through collective action, we will challenge existing oppressive drug laws, policies and programmes and work with government and our constituents to formulate evidence-based drug polices that respect human rights and dignity of people who use drugs," the Goa Declaration states. LINK