Twenty-five years after the Chernobyl disaster, Barys Piatrovich recalls the tension of unknowing that gripped him and those around him during the days that followed. Today, barely any of the Chernobyl evacuees are still alive. Spread throughout the country, they died alone and unnoticed, statisti
We lead this week with news from Central America, where the arrival of big-time drug trafficking has had a lethal impact, taking lives and carrying a heavy economic cost. In other news, we explore Russia's archaic approach to methadone treatment; and reflect on the Portuguese experience of drug de
Naïve faith in scientific progress to solve health issues in developing countries distracts from solutions that are presently available and that could be promptly implemented
We lead this week with a report from the University of Kent Psychedelic Society's multidisciplinary conference on psychedelic consciousness, 'Breaking Convention' which discusses MDMA, LSD, psylocybin, ayahuasca, psychotherapy, neuroscience, evolution and consciousness. In other news we look at th
With the close of the 54th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna last week, we lead this weeks report with news of a new website which puts into perspective the true reality of the failed war on drugs, and catch up with the latest news from Vienna ~ MW & CS
We lead this week with news of the 54th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs which opened yesterday in Vienna. UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov called for a vigorous, comprehensive and integrated approach to reducing drug demand, supply and trafficking ~ MW & CS
We lead this week with the disturbing news that Dimitri Mobengo Mugianis, a dear friend and colleague, was set up by the DEA and arrested in Seattle for providing ibogaine treatments to chronic addicts. It is my belief that the DEA has been planning this for some time, and intend to "make an examp
We lead this week with news of the impending meeting between UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, and Russian President Medvedev. We hope that recent positive emphasis at the UNODC on harm reduction, substitution therapy and human rights translates here into meaningful dialogue base
We lead this weeks report with promising news of the launch of the new Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs, Chaired by Professor David Nutt - former chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. In other news we assess 40 years of the war on drugs; the harassment of drug users in Ukr
