A new push to spare drug users prison term and instead provide them with the necessary health support is gaining ground.
The approach - which also crusades for the legalisation of marijuana (cannabis) through policy and regulation - is a culmination of extensive dialogue drawing key agents of change, including government leaders, law enforcement, public health experts, civil society, academia, and individuals who have use or continue to use drugs.
The proponents of the "harm reduction" approach say that while legislation is necessary, it alone is insufficient.
Anti-drugs measures must move beyond traditional approaches that have been rooted in criminalization, incarceration, stigma, and exclusion.
