War On Drugs Hiv Aids And Human Rights

Annotation Drug policies are often categorized in terms of public health and safety: governments forbid the voluntary use of certain substances because such use undermines the good of society as a whole. This book aims to position drug policies in another context - the context of human rights. Articles will examine the rights of drug users, with special attention to the right to adequate medical care, which is often denied to intravenous drug users who are suffering from HIV/AIDS. included will be articles that express a contrary position: that intravenous drug users have voluntarily relinquished their rights by engaging in criminal behavior. Particularly controversial are the rights of drug-using mothers whose children are sometimes put into state custody. The book will also examine the conflict between criminal codes and the human right of individual freedom, emphasizing the human rights abuses that often accompany drug policy enforcement. The texts of basic treaties and accords on human rights will be included.

Annotation "While providing background theory on harm reduction and pragmatic public health approaches to disease prevention, is focused on HIV/AIDS epidemic in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States (CEE/NIS). This region now se"

"The global 'war on drugs' is driving the HIV/AIDS pandemic among people who use drugs, although research has shown that repressive law enforcement forces users away from public health services and into hidden environments where HIV risk becomes markedly elevated. An assessments of the impacts concluded that many nations and international organizations tasked with reducing the drug problem have actually contributed to a worsening of community health and safety."--Publisher's website

"In China, illicit drug use is an administrative offense and Chinese law dictates that drug users 'must be rehabilitated.' In reality, police raids on drug users often drive them underground, away from methadone clinics, needle exchange sites, and other proven HIV prevention services. And every year Chinese police send tens of thousands of drug users to mandatory drug treatment centers, often for years, without trial or due process"--P. [4] of cover.