User rights organisations | Publications and news on user rights

User rights organisations (UK based)

Anyone’s Child
Anyone’s Child: Families for Safer Drug Control is an international network of families who have lost loved ones and are campaigning to change the drug laws.

INPUD – The International Network of People who Use Drugs
INPUD is a global peer-based organisation that seeks to promote the health and defend the rights of people who use drugs. INPUD will expose and challenge stigma, discrimination, and the criminalisation of people who use drugs and its impact on the drug-using community’s health and rights. INPUD maintains a comprehensive list of user rights organisations throughout the world

The National Needle Exchange Forum (NNEF)
This forum aims to promote and support the provision of high quality needle and syringe programmes. The NNEF members are needle and syringe programme staff, users and advocates from across England. The Forum meets at least once a year.

Respect Drug User Rights (Respect)
This is an organisation promoting health & defending the human rights of people who use drugs in the UK

Reports and journals

Advocacy Project 6 Month Report (April 2022)
There are no specific advocacy service’s in the UK fighting for the rights of people seeking access to treatment & this service could easily be the start of a whole new desperately needed sector | FAVOR UK, UK

Vancouver Declaration
To enable and empower people who use drugs legal or deemed illegal worldwide to survive, thrive and exert our voices as human beings to have meaningful input into all decisions that affect our own lives (Vancouver 2006)

INPUD Summary Report: WHO Key Populations’ Values & Preferences for HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Services
The findings of this study will inform the update of the WHO 2016 Consolidated Guidelines for HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations, which are used to inform countries on the design and implementation of health packages for key populations (people who inject drugs, gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men, female, male and trans sex workers and trans people).

Case Study: Drug User Advocates Mobilise around WHO/UNODC International Treatment Standards
This case study tells the story of how INPUD and our global peer community successfully challenged and changed the Standards to reflect a more humane and scientifically accurate approach that can serve as an effective accountability mechanism in the monitoring of national drug treatment programmes, particularly in countries where human rights abuses in treatment centres are common.

Filter Magazine
Launched in September 2018 and is based in New York City. Our mission is to advocate through journalism for rational and compassionate approaches to drug use, drug policy and human rights. Daily articles relating to drug use, harm reduction and user rights.

CHECK – new magazine about (IL)LEGAL HIGHS
CHECK is a magazine for people who use drugs, experts and advocates working in the EECA region, and those who want to learn more about the drug policy and harm reduction in the region. The first issue is dedicated to exploring the topic of new psychoactive substances, existing responses to the emergence of these substances and thoughts of peers from the EECA region | EHRA, Lithuania

Drug Reporter
Drug reporter is the drug policy website of the Rights Reporter Foundation. The website was created in 2004 to promote drug policy reform advocacy in the region | Drug Reporter, Hungary

The Bulletin
The Bulletin is a specialty publication for frontline workers in Australia’s Needle and Syringe programs (NSPs) | Penington Institute, Australia

Recent news articles/videos on user rights, lived experience and recovery

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The ‘village’ that got me off drink and drugs, May 2022
At a time when deaths from drugs and alcohol are at an all-time high, a town in north-west England has caught the attention of the government’s senior drug advisor. Birkenhead is trying a new way to support addicts and save lives | BBC, UK

Will Young: Losing My Twin Rupert – video, May 2022
Singer Will Young lived with his twin’s alcoholism for over 20 years, until Rupert died in 2020. Will’s shockingly honest and moving film explores the pain and drama of a loved one’s addiction | Channel 4, UK

Global Call for Solidarity with People who Use Drugs in Ukraine
The International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD) stands in solidarity with the
Ukranian Network of People who Use Drugs (PUD.UA/VOLNA), the Ukranian Network of Women
who Use Drugs (UNWUD/VONA) and all Ukrainian peers, colleagues, and friends against the
invasion of their country by Putin’s regime | INPUD, UK

Drink and Drugs News: Voice of experience is vital to infrastructure, February 2022
Many organisations, including the Scottish Government, have realised the value of people with authentic experience in collaborating on the ‘national mission on drug deaths’ (page 5). The LJWG are among those to go further by making the case for peers as the best people for the job with the highest chance of attracting participation in these vital services (page 6). With the grassroots knowledge and experience embedded in major service providers (page 16) and a keen appetite for collaboration between partners in health, substance use, police and social care (page 20), the time is ripe for making focused, cost-effective – and representative – decisions that will transform the outlook for many.

Introducing the Jude Byrne Emerging Female Leader Award, February 2022
The Jude Byrne Emerging Female Leader Award has been developed by INHSU and INPUD (The International Network of People Who Use Drugs) in remembrance of Jude Byrne, a globally recognised, powerful advocate who fought to advance the health and human rights of people who use drugs | INHSU, UK

People and Dancefloors Season 2 episode 2: In conversation with Peter Sarosi, February 2022
In the podcast, we discuss Peter’s trajectory from young activist to veteran of the movement, reflecting on the positive changes that have happened at the international governmental level, in large part shaped by civil society advocacy. We also discuss the populist backlash in Europe, which has contributed to a significant disinvestment from harm reduction in many member states | People and Dancefloors, UK

How Peter Krykant Tackled the UK Drug Death Crisis – video, January 2022
Peter Krykant talks about why he bought an old ambulance and set up an overdose prevention facility | Transform Drug Policy Foundation, UK

Listening to those with Lived and Living Experience, January 2022
A new National Collaborative to ensure the views of people with Lived and Living Experience (LLE) are reflected in all aspects of the national mission on drug deaths will be chaired by human rights law expert Professor Alan Miller | Scottish Government, UK

Winners of the #Morethan Video Contest, January 2022
The International Network of People Who Use Drugs and Drugreporter are glad to announce the winners of the #Morethan video contest! The video contest, launched in September by INPUD and Drugreporter, is part of the #Morethan campaign, highlighting that people who use drugs are more than the sum of all labels attached to them by society | Drug Reporter, Hungary

Scoping project: A peer-based needle exchange service in London (PDF) January 2022
This report explores the feasibility, acceptability, and practical considerations of developing a peer-based needle exchange service. It draws on focus groups with people who use needle exchange services and peer support workers, interviews with experts from services and commissioning bodies, and international evidence | LJWG, UK

‘Stand up and tell me your story’ – SHAAP report on lived experience (February 2020)
Alcohol and Drug Partnerships should be encouraged and supported to develop policies and practices across the communities for which they are responsible to engage with lived experience as a core ‘modus operandi’ embedded throughout systems | SHAAP, UK

Peer-delivered harm reduction and recovery support services: initial evaluation from a hybrid recovery community drop-in center and syringe exchange program (2018)
Results suggest that recovery community organizations are well situated and staffed to also provide harm reduction services, such as syringe exchange programs. Given the relationship between engagement and participant housing, criminal justice status, and previous health diagnosis, recommendations for service delivery include additional education and outreach for homeless, justice-involved, LatinX, and LGBTQ+ identifying individuals | Harm Reduction Journal, UK

Links in the Lived Experience section

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