From: “the Bridge” International federation of red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Europe department – Spring 2006
Delegations from more than 20 European and Central Asian Red Cross and Red Crescent societies met in Rome in December and signed a consensus document advocating a ‘comprehensive public health, harm reduction and humanitarian approach’ to drug policy. ‘Too many governments are failing to address the direct link between the sharing of needles for injecting drugs and the spread of blood-borne diseases such as HIV/ AIDS and hepatitis C,’ said Massimo Barra, president of the Italian Red Cross. ‘The sharing of contaminated needles continues to fuel the transmission of the world’s deadliest virus,’ he added.
‘Yet simple and inexpensive measures like needle exchange or drug substitution programmes help reduce the drug-HIV/AIDS link.’ The meeting was hosted by the Italian Red Cross and the Senlis Council — an international drug-policy think tank. Emmanuel Reinert, its executive director, said it was ‘every government’s responsibility to accept there’s an urgent need for pragmatic, health-oriented drug policies. Yet resistance to scientific evidence is hindering progress.’ The International Federation and the Senlis Council collaborate in their respective areas of interest under a 2005 agreement, with the Federation focusing on harm reduction methods.