Da: “Assemblea Generale dell’ONU” – Intervento di Massimo Barra New York 2 giugno 2005
Stigma and discrimination for IVDU is very strong because of their lack of power. Every person loose power when she become hill. I’m a medical doctor and I have power in my clinic. But if I become hill in the same clinic I will loose all my power.
IVDU have no power because they depend from the substance they love, but especially because they depend from others. The only remedy is the empowerment of IVDU.
This empowerment pass through a substitution therapy, in particular methadone maintenance, that is very cheap and cost –effective- for this reason the Red Cross asks that methadone be included immediately on the who’s essential drug list.